Müller turning fans onto the Whitecaps and even got a Vancouver bar tuned into the match

There won’t be any rest for the Vancouver Whitecaps during the international window, as they travel to the Sunshine State to take on Orlando City SC on Saturday.

This will be the first opportunity for Thomas Müller to experience the joys of MLS travel.

Ahead of the six-hour flight to Florida, Müller is already locked in on the main objective.

“I think we will fly to Orlando, take the three points and fly back,” Müller told reporters following training on Thursday. “That’s our goal.”

Müller around town

Müller’s Vancouver experience hasn’t been limited to the soccer pitch.

In the past week, he has been spotted at Rogers Arena a pair of times.

He met Leon Draisaitl before a Vancouver Canucks game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, before taking in an NBA game. The 36-year-old sat courtside along with many of his Whitecaps teammates for the Toronto Raptors vs. Denver Nuggets preseason matchup.

Müller has also been spotted golfing and fishing with his new teammates.

“Thomas has always been a champion on the pitch… I think he’s more so off the pitch,” Jesper Sørensen said.

“I’ve known him for a short while, but I think it’s going to help him a lot when he’s not playing football anymore. I think it helps him now because it’s so easy for him to try and integrate and adapt to new things even though he hasn’t done it before, and that’s been pretty impressive.”

Turn on the Whitecaps match

Müller wanted to clarify some recent comments when he said Vancouver people “accept not winning.”

“It’s not about the teams,” Müller said when pressed further on the topic. “It’s maybe more the people of Vancouver — they are accepting, maybe okay the Canucks doing… not very well sometimes, and who are the Whitecaps?” Müller said. “That’s what I’m mentioning.”

Müller watched the Whitecaps’ Sept. 20 win over Kansas City at a Vancouver bar.

He said he had to ask the bar staff to put the Whitecaps match on.

“I think it was the first time they put on the Apple TV in the whole history of this pub,” Müller explained. “I know hockey and the Canucks are number one by far, that’s totally fine because that’s the culture of Canada. But what should be the second team in the city? Maybe the BC Lions, I don’t know. We play in Major League Soccer, the highest league in our sport, and we are doing really well this season.

“It should be the Whitecaps. That’s what I want to change, that people [are] more interested in the Whitecaps as well, and I think it’s worth it.”

Playoff implications

With a 17-6-9 record and just two matches left, Vancouver is assured of a top-four spot in the Western Conference.

They’d like to secure first place though.

The Whitecaps are currently tied in points (60) with San Diego, and Vancouver has a game in hand.

If the Whitecaps finish first in the West, they would play the winner of a potential play-in match between Dallas and Real Salt Lake.

If Vancouver is unable to pass San Diego for the top spot and the team finishes second in the West, a potential first-round playoff match vs. Portland or Austin could be in the cards.

Should the Whitecaps slip down to third, Seattle could be a first-round 3 vs. 6 matchup.

It could set up a dramatic MLS Decision Day on Oct. 18, when the Whitecaps take on FC Dallas at BC Place.

Gauld not ready for 90 minutes yet

Since returning from a left knee capsule sprain, Gauld has been a substitute off the bench in two matches. The captain has played a total of 23 minutes, contributing one goal and a pair of shots on target.

In both matches, Gauld received a standing ovation when he came on.

The Whitecaps continue to ramp up Gauld’s minutes ahead of the MLS playoffs. But he won’t be playing a full 90 minutes just yet.

“He’s ready to do more, and that’s what we want from him,” Sørensen said. “I think that everybody is excited that he’s back and wants him to start and play more. We are building him up in a way that’s sustainable for him. We don’t want him to get re-injured or anything.”

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