Is Messi scared? Thomas Muller wins his first title at new club

Thomas Muller secured his inaugural title with Vancouver Whitecaps following their win in the Canadian Championship final.

Less than two months after leaving Bayern Munich to join Vancouver Whitecaps, Thomas Muller has already won his first trophy with his new club, scoring in an exciting 4-2 victory over Vancouver FC (from the Canadian Premier League) in the Canadian Championship final. This marks the 35th trophy in the illustrious career of the German star.

This triumph sets a record for the Whitecaps with four consecutive Canadian Championship titles and brings their total number of wins in the competition to five.

In the 5th minute at B.C. Place, Canadian international Ali Ahmed opened the scoring, before Muller calmly converted a penalty in the 10th minute, demonstrating the composure honed over 18 years at the top level. Despite being clearly outmatched in strength and quality, Vancouver FC fought back resiliently, highlighted by a solo effort from 21-year-old striker Elage Bah in the 35th minute. However, Ahmed scored again just a minute later, restoring the Whitecaps’ two-goal lead.

The second half saw the return of “iconic star” Ryan Gauld, who had been sidelined since March due to a knee joint injury. Just five minutes after coming on (78th minute), the Scottish midfielder made a decisive impact by completing a perfect counterattack to extend the lead to 4-1. Former Whitecaps player Nicolas Mezquida pulled one back for Vancouver FC in the 85th minute, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the home team from claiming the championship.

Despite the loss, Vancouver FC can hold their heads high after a fairy-tale run, reaching the final for the first time after two seasons where they were eliminated in the opening round. Meanwhile, for first-year head coach Jesper Sørensen, this is not only his maiden trophy with the Whitecaps but also a ticket for the club to participate in the next CONCACAF Champions League.

Has Messi started to feel fear?

Muller’s first Canadian Championship title with Vancouver Whitecaps serves as a warning to Messi and Inter Miami in their quest to conquer the MLS. Thomas Muller has long been the biggest nemesis in El Pulga’s career.

From Barcelona’s 0-4 defeat to Bayern Munich in the 2013 Champions League, Argentina’s painful loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final, to the heavy 2-8 defeat in 2020, Muller has consistently been the nightmare for Messi.

Now that the Whitecaps have secured a spot in the playoff for the MLS Cup, the prospect of Muller and Messi clashing once again is very real, and that bitter history could repeat itself for the Argentine superstar.

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