To help fix glaring defensive shortcomings, Minnesota United acquired two players from one of Major League Soccer’s best defensive teams in a series of transactions Friday.

The Colorado Rapids agreed with Minnesota to place holding midfielder Sam Cronin on waivers; Minnesota then traded a third-round pick in the 2019 SuperDraft to the Chicago Fire to receive their top spot in the waiver order; and then the Loons selected Cronin, an eight-year MLS veteran and the Rapids’ captain.

United also acquired veteran starting defender Marc Burch in a trade for two midfielders, Josh Gatt and Mohammed Saeid, as well as Saeid’s international spot.

Essentially, the moves boiled down to Cronin and Burch for Gatt and Saeid, and United’s additions should help improved a defense that has struggled in its first month as an MLS expansion franchise. United (0-3-1) has allowed an MLS-record 18 goals across four games.

Cronin likely will pair with fellow MLS veteran Collen Warner in front of Minnesota’s back line. Burch is expected to be inserted on the outside of the back line at left fullback. Related Articles Minnesota United acquires striker Kei Kamara in trade with Colorado

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“There is no disguising the fact that we’ve been pretty poor defensively, and this is a chance to solidify some veteran MLS pieces from a very successful defensive group into our group,” said Amos Magee, United’s director of player personnel.

Saeid, who was acquired by Minnesota in the expansion draft, played three games with the Loons this season. Gatt, a former U.S. men’s national team player who is overcoming multiple knee injuries, did not play for the Loons in the opening month.

Cronin, 30, is the trade’s centerpiece for Minnesota. Manny Lagos, the Loons’ sporting director, and Magee pursued him at the expansion draft in December, but they believed that the “ship had sailed” on a deal. So, United’s brass moved on to other priorities in building a new roster.

But Loons’ historically bad start provided some urgency for the front office to make improvements, and Colorado’s willingness to part with Cronin paved the way.

“It’s still early for us to grow into what we are going to be as a group, and this certainly makes us better, there is no doubt about it,” Lagos said. “But the growth of this team and how we are going to build off a tough start to the season is to be determined. We know we got two guys that will help us to get better, to be able to deal with that adversity.”

Cronin helped lead a Rapids side that allowed a MLS-low 32 goals in 2016 en route to the Western Conference finals, where it lost to the eventual MLS champion Seattle Sounders.

“(Cronin has) always been a smart player,” United coach Adrian Heath said. “I think that sometimes people underestimate people who can read the game when they are not on the field. I think he will understand what we are looking for as a coaching staff and actually help other people to be in the right spots at the right time, certainly when the opposition has the ball, more so than when we’ve got it.”

In his 12th season, Burch, 32, is a left-footed threat in the offensive third of the pitch and was a mainstay with a career-high 2,443 minutes last season.

“(Bursch’s) personality has rubbed one or two people up the wrong way through the years and maybe we need a little bit of that,” Heath said. “I think we all realized that we had to change one or two mind-sets, and these will do that.”

Neither player is expected to be in Minnesota in time for Saturday’s 7 p.m. game against Real Salt Lake at TCF Bank Stadium. The will arrive early next week, and figure to be available for next week’s road game at FC Dallas.

Cronin signed a new three-year contact last year, while Burch will become a free agent at the end of the season, United leaders said. Cronin earned $227,000 in 2016, while Burch made $120,000, according to the MLS players’ union. The 2017 salary numbers have not been released.