VANCOUVER — Thomas Muller made his Major League Soccer debut as his Vancouver Whitecaps battled the Houston Dynamo to a 1-1 draw on Sunday.
The German soccer icon came on in the 61st minute to boisterous cheers from the sold out crowd at B.C. Place, and was quick to make an impact.
The 35-year-old attacking midfielder signed with Vancouver earlier this month following 17 seasons at Bayern Munich where he scored 250 goals across all competitions and helped the club to 33 titles, including 13 league championships.
Brian White scored for the Whitecaps (13-6-7) on a penalty kick in the sixth minute and Artur levelled the score for the Dynamo (7-11-8) in the 91st minute.
The Whitecaps outshot the Dynamo 15-11 and held a 3-2 edge in on-target shots across the game.
The draw left Vancouver sitting third in the Western Conference behind first-place San Diego FC and Minnesota United with eight games to go in their regular-season schedule.
The announced crowd of 26,031 rose to their feet before kickoff when Muller was introduced on the big screen. He replied by standing and clapping for the crowd before taking his seat on the sidelines.
Fans had another reason to cheer early in the game after Vancouver midfielder Jayden Nelson was taken down inside the penalty area by Griffin Dorsey.
Referee Jon Freemon pointed at the spot and people rose to their feet as White lined up to take the kick in the sixth minute. The American striker then rolled a low shot into the bottom right corner of the net as Houston ‘keeper Jonathan Bond dove in the opposite direction.
The goal was White’s team-leading 13th of the season.
Play got physical as the first half wore on, with Freemon doling out five yellow cards — two to Whitecaps players and three to Dynamo personnel.
Vancouver came within inches of taking a two-goal lead before the half.
Three minutes into first-half injury time, Bond kicked out a foot to deny White in tight. Whitecaps forward Emmanuel Sabbi got to the rebound and launched a rocket at the Houston net, sending the ball pinging off the crossbar.
The Dynamo controlled 56.8 per cent of possession in the first half, but shots were tied 6-6 and Vancouver had the two lone on-target attempts.
Fans once again rose to their feet in the 61st minute when Muller came on for homegrown talent Jeevan Badwal. Cheers of “Muller! Muller!” briefly rang out as he stepped onto the field for the first time.
Three minutes later, the German soccer legend blasted a shot into the back of the Houston net from the top of the penalty area. The play was quickly whistled down for being offside.
Houston spoiled Muller’s coming out party in the 91st minute when Amine Bassi slipped a pass to Artur at the top of the penalty area and the central midfielder sailed a shot in past the outstretched fingertips of Vancouver ‘keeper Yohei Takaoka to level the score at 1-1.
Before the game, hundreds of fans lined Terry Fox Plaza outside of the stadium to await Muller’s arrival.
Many in the crowd were clad in crisp new Whitecaps jerseys emblazoned with Muller’s No. 13, while others wore the red kit he formerly sported at Bayern Munich. At least two people wore lederhosen, a nod to the World Cup winner’s Bavarian roots, and several German flags lined the barriers.
Muller signed with the Whitecaps on Aug. 6 after his contract with Bayern Munich was not renewed. He will remain with the club through the 2025 season and his contract includes a Designated Player option for the 2026 campaign.
NOTES
Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon left the game at halftime with knee pain. … Midfielder Ali Ahmed came on for Vancouver in the 61st minute. It was his first game action since spraining his ankle while playing for Canada at the CONCACAF Gold Cup nearly two months ago. … Kenji Cabrera came on in the 91st minute, making his home debut for the ‘Caps.
NEXT UP
Vancouver: The Whitecaps host St. Louis City SC on Saturday.
Houston: The Dynamo host the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 17, 2025.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
