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Whitecaps fans roast MLS after they call Vancouver the wrong nickname

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
Aug 7 2025, 6:48 pm
Whitecaps fans roast MLS after they call Vancouver the wrong nickname
Charles HHuang/Shutterstock

Vancouver Whitecaps fans have been having one heck of a season so far, with the recent transfer of a world-class player just the cherry on top.

On Wednesday, the news of Thomas Müller signing for the Whitecaps from German club Bayern Munich became official, signalling the biggest player that’s ever called Vancouver home.

“All he does is win,” a social media post with a cartoon of the new signing read. “Thomas Müller is after another trophy in the Couve.”

Part of the post was accurate, as Müller has won thirteen Bundesliga titles and two UEFA Champions League titles with Bayern Munich, as well as the FIFA World Cup in 2014 with Germany.

There’s just one problem: no one calls Vancouver “the Couve”, as many people were quick to point out in the replies and quote tweets.

Social media did not let down with the memes and pure disgust for the tweet.

While a few positive tweets were expressing their excitement for the big move, most folks were pretty confused by the name choice, instead of the far more common “Vancity” or simply just referring to the team itself.

Doubling the confusion is that Vancouver is actually referred to as “The Couve”, but the nickname typically refers to a different city a few hours away.

“The Couve” even has its own page on the official tourism website for Vancouver, Washington.

An abbreviated form of Vancouver (and alternatively stylized as The ‘Couv), The Couve surfaced on the scene in the early dawn of the new millennium—aka 2002. In that year, the first recorded usage of the term appeared in that all-knowing source of internet wisdom, Urban Dictionary….  [the nickname can] provide community members and visitors alike with a unique sense of place that could not be confused with Vancouver BC or Portland.

So there you have it. It is a nickname for Vancouver, just, you know, a different Vancouver.

Müller himself shared his own thoughts on the transfer and his move to Vancouver.

“I’ve heard great things about the city, but first and foremost, I’m coming to win. I’ve had great conversations with Axel Schuster and Jesper Sørensen, and now I can’t wait to play in front of the supporters and to see all of the fans come out to BC Place as we head towards the playoffs.”

Maybe if Müller wins an MLS Cup in Vancouver, he can pick a nickname for the city himself.

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