- For other versions of the character, see Deuter Muller (Tecmo) and Deuter Muller (RoNC).
Deuter Muller (デューター・ミューラー, dūtā myūrā) is Germany's first choice keeper, known as the "Phantom Keeper" and, subsequently, the "Steel Giant".
Description[]
Muller had earned a legendary status in his home country even before his debut for Germany Jr. Youth in the Junior Youth tournament in France. He has been one of the German side's main players since.
Due to the severe training on a mountain, Muller is exceptionally strong and tough and remarkably agile for his size. His mere presence in goal gives an impression of impenetrability and he has backed this up by conceding only under extreme circumstances.
Etymology[]
His name is a reference to the former footballer Dieter Muller. In Europe, in Shin Captain Tsubasa he is called Reiner Bauer.
Biography[]
Prior to the J Boys' Challenge arc[]
Before coming to the world of professional football, Muller had underwent specialized and severe training under a person he refers to as Master, secluded in a mountain somewhere in Germany.
A year prior to the event of the International Jr. Youth Tournament, the German football champions Stuttgart had a training camp in a small village in the mountains where they played against an amateur local side. Despite being only 15 at the time, Muller kept a clean sheet in a 20-minute game, where the German champions relentlessly attacked, but failed to score against him. The Stuttgart coach offered Muller a pro contract, but he declined and this is when the legend of "Phantom keeper" was born.
J Boys' Challenge arc[]
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During the International Jr. Youth Tournament in France and Germany are the favorites and have a world class offense and midfield, but in defense they show a lack of talent to match their other lines. This is underlined when they concede to Portugal, who aren't noted for anything special. For this reason, the German coach acquired Muller into the team, to have an impenetrable keeper.
His first mention is in the closing stages of the Japan - Italy match, when Franz Schester and Manfred Margus note of Gino Hernandez's talent as a keeper and how their own West Germany team hasn't got a good player for that position. At that time Magath says there's a rumor that the Phantom Keeper will join the team and a vague human silhouette is shown.
Muller's first actual appearance is the night before West Germany play against Uruguay in the semifinals, when he is seen unboarding a plane greeted by the team's coach Mike Gildo. Just his back is shown, but it's obvious he is a big and well-built person.
As the game against Uruguay is about to start, Muller is on the bench hidden from the spectators' view clutching a football. Germany's weakness in defense, the goalkeeper position in particular, is quickly shown, as Uruguay need only 50 seconds to open the scoring against them. Seeing that, Muller pops the ball he is holding by just squeezing it with one hand and proceeds to enter the field. He is stopped by the coach at that time and only enters as a substitute once West Germany had reversed the score to 2-1. At that moment, Uruguay have a free-kick and Muller orders the wall of players to disband as because of it he can't see the ball. This enrages Ramon Victorino and the Uruguayan shoots with all his force, only to see the shot caught with one hand by Muller. The keeper immediately throws the ball to Schneider, who organizes a counter-attack resulting in a 3rd goal for West Germany.
Muller has no trouble keeping Uruguay from scoring, as he had given Victorino's self-confidence a huge blow and the match ends 6-1, qualifying West Germany for the final.
In the final against Japan, Shun Nitta is the first Japanese player to have a chance to shoot, but Muller's presence alone gives a feeling of shooting against him being useless, forcing Nitta to pass. Kojiro Hyuga then gets the ball and gets the same sensation, but shoots regardless. His shot is easily caught. When Tsubasa Ozora has a shooting opportunity, that same feeling overwhelms him, but he does a Drive Shot nevertheless. Muller proceeds to stop the shot with one hand, shocking the likes of Ken Wakashimazu, Juan Diaz and Gino Hernandez, with the latter even admitting he himself wasn't the best keeper in Europe, but Muller was. Muller then arrogantly throws the ball consecutively towards the Japanese players to test their abilities and one after the other stops a Hayabusa Shot by Nitta, an Eagle Shot by Hikaru Matsuyama and a Razor Shot by Makoto Soda. After catching the last one, Hyuga tries shooting while Muller is holding the ball with one hand, but displaying his monstrous strength, the German keeper takes the full impact of Kojiro's shot and doesn't let the ball go. Taking advantage of two of the Japanese defenders overlapping, Muller sends a strong pass to Schneider that passes the entire field.
In Japan's next attack, believing it to be the only way to score against Muller, Tsubasa goes right in front of him and tries shooting under his armpit, but Muller saves the shot again. Taro Misaki tries scoring with an overhead kick on the rebound, but Muller dives and catches it. In a later attack, when Wakabayashi had already demonstrated his skills, the German keeper declares his intentions to prove he is the world's best keeper. When Japan concede a free-kick, Muller orders the players not to form a wall, just as he did against Uruguay. After Tsubasa taps the ball forward, Hyuga does a shot with all his strength which goes right under Muller's groin. Surprisingly to everyone, Muller fails to catch the ball and only stops the shot by closing his legs, being pushed a few meters backward by the sheer power of Kojiro's shot. Despite this save, Hyuga deduces that Muller's weakness is shots aimed between his legs. Muller's master remembers how he trained Muller for 6 months by throwing 100 pebbles which the keeper had to stop and how he needed all that time to manage stopping those aimed under his groin. He yells at Muller after he fails to catch a shot by Tsubasa aimed between his legs again, telling his student that his weakness has been corrected and it's only in his subconsciousness. Proving that to be true, Muller saves the next shot by Nitta, solidly catching the ball with one hand, despite it going between his legs.
The next time Muller is forced into action, Tsubasa and Hyuga fire a Twin Drive Tiger Shot against him, which everyone believes will result in Japan equalizing. In a flashback from his training, Muller is having his final lesson with his master in which he must catch three balls thrown from the top of a cliff. However, along with them there are dozens of rocks falling, some even bigger than Muller. After collecting two footballs, Muller notices the last is behind a huge rock and shows great power and determination by punching through the rock and catching the ball, even though it results in his hand getting bruised and bloody. Applying the same power and determination, Muller stops the Drive Tiger Shot with a single hand.
In the next attack Muller makes his first mistake in the game. Hyuga and Sawada do a Twin Overhead and Muller sneers at the shot, claiming it to be much easier to save than the Drive Tiger Twin Shot. However, because of the difference in kick power between the Japanese, the ball bends turning into a pass for Misaki who does a diving header. Muller stops it, but fails to notice Tsubasa coming from behind, pushing his teammate into the goal with a drop kick to his spikes. Muller's master points out that underestimation caused a gap in Muller's judgment and while he did well to realize the shot was a pass, he hadn't noticed the incoming Tsubasa. Thus the first half ends 1-1, with Muller getting scolded during half-time by his tutor for his overconfidence. His master also notes Muller is still young and naive on the mental side.
Despite fierce attacks by West Germany at the start of the second half, Japan create a scoring chance when a pumped up Tsubasa fires a Drive Shot. Muller dives to save it, but Misaki deflects it with a Jumping Volley, which Muller skillfully blocks with his elbow. Tsubasa gets to the rebound, but, realizing he can't score because of his foot being numb, passes to the incoming Hyuga. The Japan forward does a point-blank Neo Tiger Shot and, despite Muller reacting and catching the ball, it goes on to tear his glove and smash into the goal net.
Japan's next attack involves Hyuga shooting on the right side of goal. Because Muller had his hand injured in the previous goal, he makes the save with his left hand, but despite being unable to hold onto the strong shot, he quickly rotates his body and kicks the ball while it's in the air. Near the end of regular time, Japan's last attack results in Tsubasa winning a one-on-one aerial duel with Schneider and making a Drive Shot which Muller fails to stop. The ball bounces off the crossbar and Tsubasa dives again for an Overhead Drive Shot. Muller reacts and seems to be about to catch the ball, when it sharply curves upward and stabs the upper net concluding in Japan's 3rd and winning goal.
Battle of World Youth arc[]
The Strongest Opponent! Netherlands Youth
It is mentioned that sometimes between the International Jr. Youth Tournament and the World Youth preliminaries, Germany had a friendly match with Netherlands Youth. Muller couldn't play due to his injury, and was replaced by Wakabayashi. In the end Germany lost 1-3.
Injured by Stefan Levin
World Youth tournament
For the World Youth tournament, Muller is part of the united German team, consisting of the former West and East Germany. His team comes with great ambitions, but after two wins in the group stage against Colombia and America, Germany are beaten 3-5 by Sweden. The Swedish team had studied Germany extensively and used that knowledge to defeat the Germans, including their captain Stefan Levin using his Levin Shot to injure both of Muller's hands. Because of this he probably didn't play in the remaining games, where Germany go on to win their quarter-final game against Argentina 3-2, but lose to Brazil in the semi-final by 0-5.
Road to 2002 arc[]
As Stuttgart's keeper
During the Bundesliga season, Muller is in goal for Stuttgart and plays against Wakabayashi's Hamburger SV. The game ends 0-0 after both keepers didn't let goals in. Following the final whistle, Muller tells Wakabayashi to stop Bayern Munich from scoring and wishes Hamburg would defeat them, as that would make the chances of the other teams winning the Bundesliga greater.
Rising Sun arc[]
With his leg hand badly injured, he has played for the whole 90 minutes of the game. While being hurt, he has being able to save very strong shots, such as the Raiju Shot, the Flying Drive Shot and Hyuga and Misaki's Jumping Twin Shot. The only special shot with which he was defeated was the High Speed Tornado Sky Alpha.
To be added as series progresses
Techniques[]
- Main article: Deuter Muller/Techniques
Gallery[]
- Main article: Deuter Muller/Gallery
Trivia[]
- Muller enters the Germany vs. Uruguay match using the jersey #18, but plays with #1 in the U-16 finals.
External links[]
- Deuter Muller at Captain Tsubasa DB (JP)
- Deuter Muller at Shinji's Captain Tsubasa site
- Deuter Muller at Captain Tsubasa: Dream Team DB
- Deuter Muller at Captain Tsubasa Stats