The German playmaker was hard to pin down in the Bundesliga, but might be the perfect attacker the Whitecaps need
Thomas Muller was so good that he gave himself a new position. It's kind of apocryphal at this point, but in an interview in 2011, Muller was asked by a reporter who asked him what spot, exactly, he was playing for Bayern Munich. It was a fair question. Muller was a bit all over the place, at times a wide midfielder, at others a striker, occasionally a No. 10.
Basically, he played everywhere, just floating around everything, working off everyone else. Muller smiled, and, with dorky grin, explained it: "Ich bin ein Raumdeuter."
Translation: "I am an interpreter of space."
It was a masterstroke in branding, mostly because it was a buzzword that meant so much yet simultaneously had no actual grounding point. What the hell is an interpreter of space? What does that even mean? Well, it stuck. "Raumdeuter" became an accepted part of the soccer lexicon, and was, to codify it all, a role added to Football Manager within a couple of years. If you can do it on a video game, it must be real.
And Muller has made a career off it. He is now the original – and pretty much only – "Raumdeuter." There is no one else quite like him. Yet as he has aged, changed and evolved, interpreting spaces all over football pitches around the world, Muller's quality has remained.
And in Major League Soccer, he has found the perfect spot for one last ride. Vancouver is not a glamorous destination. It's not Los Angeles. It's not Miami. It's not New York. But the tactical fit is wonderful, and the environment might just be ideal for Muller to see out his career in style.
GettyAn odd profile of player
Back in 2009, Muller didn't seem to have a spot in a professional football team. No one knew what he was. To be sure, he has established himself as a youth talent in the Bayern academy, but then-manager Jurgen Klinsmann had no clue what to do with an unathletic, gangly, imperfect forward. There was talk, back then, that he could have been loaned out – or even sold at the right price.
But then, in a remarkable sliding doors moment, Klinsmann left. Bayern sacked him in April 2009. Louis Van Gaal came into the job the following summer. And one of his first serious acts as manager was to work Muller into his first XI. What he did was unclear. Van Gaal started him, loosely, in a wide role, but gave him freedom to roam.
A strong midfield trio added backing, while Mario Gomez's goalscoring nous up front kept the team afloat. After a few months, Muller started to find the net. He scored 19 goals in all competitions, bested only by an emerging Arjen Robben, who had 23.
And he stuck around from there. German national team showings followed. He starred at the 2010 World Cup, finished tied for the Golden Boot, and played a crucial role as Germany won the tournament in 2014. Plaudits came from everywhere. German manager Joachim Low claimed that Muller was "impervious to pressure" and lauded his defensive ability.
He was praised for his work rate and vocal nature on the pitch. Few understood how he worked, but after 17 full years of professional football, Muller tallied 150 goals and 175 assists in the Bundesliga alone.
AdvertisementImagnA kind fit in Vancouver
It was assumed, in some corners, that Muller would end his career at Bayern. And when it became known that he would not be offered a new contract in April, some expected Muller to hang up his boots. There was, indeed, little else to achieve.
Muller had won every trophy possible, and already walked away from the international game. But Muller made clear his intentions to play on. Manchester United reportedly flirted. Muller declined. A couple of Serie A clubs sniffed around. Muller turned his head. MLS always seemed a natural fit.
And the standard slew of big clubs were mentioned. LAFC seemed a strong link – and realistic fit – for a while. LA needed another star, either to pair with Olivier Giroud or replace him. General Manager John Thorrington might have wanted both. Instead, he ended up with neither, and Muller turned his attention to the Vancouver Whitecaps, hovering near the top of Western Conference standings. The deal is reportedly all-but done, with Muller to join on an 18-month contract.
It's hard to imagine a more perfect fit on the pitch. Vancouver are a very good team, and surprise of the MLS season. They fired their manager shortly before the start of the campaign, and lost their best player to a serious knee injury in April. But instead of crumbling, the Canadian side rallied under Jasper Sorenson, who was hired in January.
Brian White, once an MLS afterthought, has played himself into the USMNT conversation thanks to a career-best goalscoring season. Sebastian Berhalter has been excellent in central midfield. The defense has been good, and they are second in the West, with a game in hand over first placed San Diego. The only thing the Whitecaps are missing, in fact, is a central fulcrum. The Whitecaps are, at times, too frantic.
Their transitional style makes for great watching, but they could also do with someone to offer a bit more control, to set things up, position them on and off the ball.
What they need, in fact, is someone to sort of move in and out of spaces, pick up little pockets, and perhaps more basically, just be a leader on the pitch.
Getty ImagesA football hipster's dream
Muller wouldn't be the only player of that ilk to make it in MLS. There aren't loads of touchpoints here, because there aren't loads of players like him. Perhaps the closest is Sergio Busquets.
The former Barcelona defensive midfielder is another aging European star who never relied on legs to work his magic. He is another player who didn't really have a position, or couldn't be nailed down. But he has also been an immense success in MLS. There has been an adjustment period, to be sure, but Busquets is proof that smarts and understanding can play at pretty much any age.
The other advantage here is that MLS Designated Players – which Muller will be, starting next year – tend to play similar roles. Construct an MLS roster well, and your high-priced veterans tend to be what might be called "luxury players." They are, in effect, the cream of the crop, the guys you shouldn't be able to afford – the ones that make your side better on individual quality alone.
Traditionally, they have been the kind of attacking midfielder that will score, assist, and break games open – but also stipulating a bit of adjustment around them. Lionel Messi is, of course, the extreme example, but the football hipsters dream of the aging No. 10 still very much exists in Major League Soccer.
Muller isn't quite that player. His off-ball work rate remains excellent, while his defensive numbers make for fine reading – especially for a 35-year-old. But he does have that extra kind of flair that needs accommodating for. In American terms, he is good enough so that he can take a play off, and smart enough to know when to do it.
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Getty Images"Hi, Grandma"
On June 27, 2010. Germany picked up a famous World Cup victory over England. They battered their bitter rivals, 4-1, sending the Three Lions home in the quarterfinals. Muller was magnificent, scoring the third and fourth to round off a masterclass. He answered the standard slew of postmatch questions in a TV interview, and then, with a dorky smile, said hello to his family: "I just wanted to send greetings to my two grandmas and my grandpa. That’s long overdue."
It's not the only charming Muller story. Everyone seems to have one. He loves news conferences and dorky jokes. He referred to Robert Lewandowski as "Robert LewanGOALski" to a room of bemused reporters, and waited in silence as the confused journalists finally let out a wry collective chuckle. He finished his Bayern career by telling a joke in front of a packed Allianz Arena:
"Father is dying at home. The three children are at his bedside. Suddenly, the smell of his favorite cake wafts from the kitchen, where mother is cooking. The father says 'Son, please bring me one last piece of my favorite cake, that is my last wish.' The son comes back from the kitchen without the cake. Father asks 'What's going on?' Son says, 'Well, mom says it's for after the funeral.'"
With a giggle, he left the pitch. And perhaps that's the best part of Muller. He is a lot of fun. He's a good laugh. He's great content. For someone who plays the game so seriously, and is so hard to pin down, he is an immensely captivating character.