After unloading criticisms in the previous two games, Minnesota United coach Adrian Heath was much more subdued after Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to Columbus at TCF Bank Stadium.

That was until Heath was asked in the postgame news conference about the decision to have midfielder Miguel Ibarra come off the bench in the 77th minute against the Crew. When Ibarra came on, Heath agreed that Ibarra provided energy to push for the equalizing, yet elusive, goal.

“Well, he didn’t last week,” Heath said of the 3-1 loss to New York. “Can’t pick and choose when we have that energy. Can’t pick and choose to be — not just Miguel. That could have been three or four others, to put all that energy in at TCF Bank Stadium. Same three points on the road. Can’t pick and choose when you decide that you want to play with full of energy. That’s non-negotiable. That goes for three or four players.”

After the loss to New York on Thursday, he called his club “so weak physically and mentally on the road.” He said they were “kidding themselves” if they thought their effort level was enough to earn their first road win. He added that the winless road run was “driving me crazy.”

Heath, who has raised his expectations for this club after flirting with runs of success at times in its Major League Soccer expansion season, was livid after the 2-2 comeback draw with Vancouver on June 24.

Heath was upset that the Loons didn’t attack the penalty area with enough gusto. “When we don’t, we are bang average,” he said. “It’s two points dropped.”

BREAK COMING

United’s 15-day break before the next MLS game “comes at a really good time for us,” Heath said.

“It will get one or two players the opportunity to get themselves fully fit again and one or two to recharge the batteries a little bit,” Heath said.

The Loons will take a few days off before regrouping before the July 15 friendly against Atlas of Mexico and July 19 MLS game against Houston.

“We need it, but we maybe don’t deserve it with the way we’ve performed,” midfielder Sam Cronin said.

DANLADI EXITS

Abu Danladi, who was returning from a thigh injury, left in the 43rd minute Tuesday. Heath did not have an update on the rookie forward’s status after the game.

Brent Kallman was out to rest with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee. He also missed Thursday’s game at New York.

“What we don’t want is the sprain to be anything more,” Heath said Monday. “Once we start back around (next week), he will be back and available, but we can’t afford at this moment in time to take too many chances with that.”

PRAISE FOR THIESSON AND GREENSPAN

Besides Kallman, the Loons were without Francisco Calvo and Jermaine Taylor, who are on international duty for the Gold Cup. That forced Minnesota to give Joe Greenspan his first MLS start and flank him with a pair of fullbacks in Jerome Thiesson and Justin Davis.

“I thought (Greenspan) put a really good shift in,” Heath said.

On Thiesson’s fill-in role as a right-side center back, Heath said, “I thought he adapted to a new role really well.”