VANCOUVER — There aren’t many firsts for Thomas Muller at this stage of his career.
Over 17 seasons with Bayern Munich, the German soccer legend scored 250 goals and won 33 titles. He’s also hoisted the World Cup and taken home the Golden Boot from soccer’s top tournament.
On Tuesday, though, Muller will face a new challenge — the Canadian Championship.
His Vancouver Whitecaps will host Canadian Premier League side Forge FC in the second leg of a semifinal series, and the winner will have a shot at the Voyageurs Cup.
While Muller, who signed with Vancouver last month, hasn’t played in the Canadian Championship before, he’s well acquainted with Cup tournaments.
“I think Cup football means that the pressure is on, especially in the second leg,” he said Monday., “Now, it’s a decisive game. It’s a knockout stage and you have to be ready for it.
“I’m looking forward to it, to playing my first Canadian Cup game for the Whitecaps. But I think we are well prepared, and we’re finding our rhythm more and more. And we want to continue.”
The winner of Tuesday’s game will meet either Vancouver FC or Atletico Ottawa, both of the CPL, in the tournament’s finale next month.
The first half of the semifinal series between Forge and the ‘Caps on Aug. 13 ended in a 2-2 draw. It was a battle Forge head coach Bobby Smyrniotis described as a “hectic” game.
Nana Ampomah opened the scoring for his Hamilton-based club in the 10th minute, but Vancouver was quick to retaliate with a goal from Tristan Blackmon in the 18th. Jayden Nelson gave the ‘Caps the lead in the 29th minute and Brian Wright levelled the score in the 34th.
“The one thing we want to take from game one is how good and controlling we were on the ball,” Smyrniotis said. “They came at us with different types of structures, much more aggressive in the first half. And after the 65th minute, 70th minute, that dropped off from both teams, I think, at that point in the game.
“And we’ve got to be our good usual selves. We’ve got to hold ourselves to our standards and play football against what’s a very good team in Vancouver.”
Forge have been CPL heavyweights this season, going 14-2-7 in league play.
The club has struggled recently, going 1-2-0 across its last three outings — including a 2-1 loss to Valour FC last week — but still sit atop the CPL standings.
“They’re a good team,” Nelson said. “I know a little bit about them, like their history, they’re a good club, they have quality players. So they can hurt us at moments. But you just have to go into the game with the right intensity and intent. And, yeah, we should win this game.”
The Whitecaps are confident after handing the Major League Soccer-leading Philadelphia a 7-0 drubbing on Saturday.
The result improved Vancouver’s league record to 15-6-7 and clinched the club’s playoff spot.
“You’re not going to catch a team like Vancouver off guard,” Smyrniotis said. “I think they’re a team that’s well prepared. It shows from how their season has gone, and I think they’ll be well prepared for us.”
The ‘Caps have won the Canadian Championship title three years in a row, and look even stronger this season.
That doesn’t deter Forge, said captain Kyle Bekker.
After all, Tuesday is simply another game.
“The pressure, the noise from the outside, that’s all little things that can distract you from it,” he said. “We know we have quality. We know we have guys who can go out and execute. And it’s just a matter of being present in that moment, being up for the task at hand, knowing what it’s all about, but not letting it consume you.
“These (games) are exciting. These are the ones you want to play in, and you don’t want to shy away from that.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2025.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
