Minnesota United’s five new defenders have propelled the club to its first MLS Cup playoff berth, a fact that has been documented and celebrated going into Sunday’s first-round game against the Los Angeles Galaxy at Allianz Field.

After Minnesota’s defense gave up an MLS-worst 2.07 goals per game across its first two seasons, the additions of Ike Opara, Ozzie Alonso, Vito Mannone, Romain Metanire and Chase Gasper have helped the Loons improve drastically. They gave up 1.26 goals per game this season, which tied for fifth-fewest in the league.

But through the first seven games, that revamped defense, then with four changes to its back six, was giving up even more goals per game (2.14) than in those two dreadful seasons.

Then came the addition by subtraction.

United traded left back Francisco Calvo to Chicago in May, and with him out of the lineup, Minnesota’s defense gave up an average of 1.03 goals against in the final 27 games.

Calvo’s red card late in the 4-3 loss to Toronto FC on April 19 has been seen as the focal point in his departure.

While that was the former captain’s final game with Minnesota, multiple sources told the Pioneer Press that Calvo’s brash and sometimes selfish leadership style grated teammates and had begun to boil under the surface.

It produced a “general unrest” within most of the group, and a handful of players met with coach Adrian Heath to voice concerns. The verdict: Change was needed.

“We wouldn’t be where we are today if that didn’t happen,” one source said.

For some club representatives, this wasn’t news. Calvo’s mental lapses and lack of hustle had led to multiple goals going back seasons. It led to a frustration in the ranks that there were few ramifications for the Costa Rican national team player.

It wasn’t just Calvo.

“We would play games on the road (in previous years) where a few (players) would hide and you would only get honest performances out of less than a handful of guys, which at this level, is a recipe for disaster,” one player said.

Before the 2018 season, United extended Calvo’s contract through 2022, pointed to him as a cornerstone for the future and promoted his inclusion in the World Cup in Russia that summer.

But 2019 was different as veteran MLS winners and experienced European pros were infused into the Loons’ group.

Calvo continued to be a conundrum, and the season opener in Vancouver was a perfect example of his conflicting sides.

Heath had moved Calvo to left back, instead of center back where he primarily played for Minnesota in the first two season. This switch, reluctantly accepted by Calvo, freed him from some defensive responsibilities and allowed his athleticism to pop in the attack.

On an early free kick against the Whitecaps, Calvo inexplicably stopped retreating to keep the defensive shape as service entered the Loons’ box. Calvo’s void left Erik Godoy open for an easy goal that Mannone had little chance of stopping. Five minutes into a new season, same problems.

But later, Calvo’s attacking skill was apparent as he got into the box and drew a penalty, which Darwin Quintero converted to tie the score. Then Calvo’s diving header put the Loons ahead 2-1 in a game they went on to win 3-2.

The following week, the Loons blanked San Jose 3-0, marking the club’s first road shutout in two-plus seasons of MLS play. It looked like a byproduct of roster makeover, but then Calvo had a role in allowing four goals over the next four games.

Arguably the most egregious error came in New England on March 30. Calvo was watching Brandon Bye in his peripheral vision as both were outside the 18-yard box. But as Bye took off on a far-post run, Calvo reacted late, and Bye received the cross from Teal Bunbury and scored the winner. It was a 2-1 victory for a then-floundering Revolution side, and is one of a handful of results that contributed to Minnesota not being in a more-advantageous playoff position.

One criticism of Calvo was he was quick to call out others in the dressing room when they made mistakes, but would treat his errors with passing acknowledgement on the field.

Another source took some of the blame off Calvo, saying it was clear he was overwhelmed by the responsibilities and was trying to do too much. “There’s an onus on the staff, too,” he said.

When Calvo left, the Loons turned to backup Eric Miller of Woodbury for a few games, tried Miguel Ibarra there and had rookie Hassani Dotson in that spot until fellow rookie Chase Gasper took hold of the position.

When Calvo relinquished the captain’s armband, Alonso put it on and has been credited with a lead-by-example, speak-when-necessary leadership style that garners attention and respect.

Gasper, the 15th pick in the 2019 MLS draft, has been on the receiving end of Alonso’s blunt assessments, but said he doesn’t take them personally because of the respect Alonso has in making the playoffs for 10 straight seasons in Seattle and now in his first season in Minnesota.

“You don’t want to be on the team that lets that down,” said Michael Boxall, the one holdover in Minnesota’s back line.

Boxall had a nightmarish game in that 4-3 loss to Toronto, but teammates and Heath credited him with putting his hand up, owning the mistakes and not allowing them to reoccur.

Boxall was named to the Best XI for Opta, a sports data site, which pointed out he was the only MLS player to win more than 65 percent of his duels and tackles this season.

Opara, who arrived in a preseason trade with Kansas City, was named MLS defender of the year on Thursday, for the second time in three seasons. Mannone, on loan from English club Reading, is one of three in contention for goalkeeper of the year. Right back Romain Metanire was the Loons’ representative in the MLS all-star game. Related Articles Loons midfielder Thomas Chacon’s quiet first start of 2020 could be his only one

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Minnesota tied an MLS low with two shutouts last season, but Mannone and Co. set a club record of 11 clean sheets this year, including eight at home in St. Paul.

At Allianz, they have allowed only 13 goals in 17 league games and limited Galaxy star Zlatan Ibrahimovic to one shot on goal in a scoreless draw in April.

“We have a group of guys that aren’t going to be OK with losing,” a staff member said. “There was a huge mentality shift, and those things that happened in the first two years, they were not OK anymore regardless of if the guys had been here or not. That wasn’t acceptable.”