It’s a bummer Minnesota United doesn’t play a game this weekend. It would have been nice to immediately open the new era of Loons soccer.

That’s because everything thus far in this season’s opening month — the Loons have a 2-3 record — can, if you will, now be considered B.C.C., as in Before Calvo’s Comments.

First, a quick recap. Last Saturday, Francisco Calvo — Minnesota’s lone representative in this summer’s World Cup in Russia and recent beneficiary of a contract extension that could keep him wearing black and blue through 2022 — showed he’s not only the club captain but also its alpha male.

In front of his locker at TCF Bank Stadium, the Costa Rican center back opined about a lack of respect for Minnesota he feels within MLS compared to other new teams in Atlanta and Los Angeles. In conclusion, he put the league on notice.

“This year is going to be different,” Calvo said. “People who are talking stupid things about us, they are going to shut their mouth off and see how Minnesota is going to do it in this league this year.”

The timing of his comments was ill-opportune. His misfortune in the third minute led a deflection off his knee and into the net for an own goal; it proved to be the deciding blow in a 1-0 loss to Atlanta — Minnesota’s expansion-franchise cousin in the 2017 season. Then after a red card, Minnesota had a man advantage for almost an hour, and the Loons couldn’t bust through the bunker Atlanta laid in front of its net. These factors produced a cocktail replete with hefty doses of frustration, dashes of anger and pinches of envy and jealousy.

“I’m tired of how Major League Soccer gives a lot of credit to Atlanta or (expletive) LAFC — sorry for the word,” Calvo said at the start of his unvarnished rant. “Because it’s weird how Minnesota wins and Major League Soccer is, ‘Eh, OK, Minnesota wins,’ but Atlanta wins or LAFC wins and they make a show. They make a show.”

Well, guess which teams squared off Saturday in one of three nationally televised MLS games this weekend? Yup, Atlanta and LAFC, this year’s lone expansion club. Atlanta won 5-0. With the Loons on a regularly scheduled bye week, Calvo could watch from his couch and let the game stir his own motivational pot.

When the Loons play again, in a road game against Portland on April 14, United also will usher in another, simultaneous epoch. Let’s call this, A.D., as in After Darwin.

Part of the reason United has felt overlooked compared to Atlanta and LAFC is it hasn’t had higher-profile, and higher-priced, Designated Players on the roster until last week. In fact, the Loons were the only club in that category until diminutive, creative speedster Darwin Quintero joined Minnesota from Club America in Mexico’s Liga MX.

“The Scientist of the Goal” is expected to be an X factor capable to break through in situations like United faced in its 1-0 loss to Atlanta. When he takes the pitch next weekend, eyes will glued to see if the 30-year-old Colombian maintains his dynamism.

When Quintero was introduced Monday in the shadows of Allianz Field’s steel structure in St. Paul, Heath reacted to Calvo’s comments about 48 hours prior.

“I agree with him wholeheartedly,” the United coach said. “… It’s not easy when every article that your read about them is positive and maybe not so for us.”

In the wake of Calvo’s words, at least two prominent soccer voices didn’t acquiesce to Calvo’s thinking.

Former U.S. men’s national team star Alexi Lalas tweeted one word: Timing.

MLSsoccer.com’s independent commentator Matt Doyle was mentioned on Twitter in an effort to draw out his explanation for the disparity of Minnesota being above the MLS Cup playoff red line with six points so far and yet sitting at 21st in the 23-team power rankings.

“They beat two teams (Chicago and Orlando) who’ve combined for a single win all year, and they just lost at home to an injured 10-man opponent,” Doyle tweeted Tuesday. “They also had the worst defense in the league last year. MNUFC are covered as they should be covered. With skepticism.”

Details on Minnesota’s debut a year ago have become belabored, but that’s because first impressions last, and it truly was brutal. They gave up 18 goals the first four games and conceded an MLS-record 70 goals over the season. Related Articles Loons’ Adrian Heath, Kei Kamara believe they can strike simpatico partnership

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Meanwhile, Atlanta receives praise for a few primary reasons. They have set eye-popping attendance numbers in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which they share with the NFL Falcons, and furthermore, they became the first expansion franchise to make the playoffs since Seattle in 2009.

Then there’s the fact Heath routinely brings up: They have spent big money to bring in DPs and other prominent players. There’s helpings of envy from the manager, too.

As United looks to the future, it’s too bad there is no Loons redux versus Atlanta this year. In addition to Calvo throwing gas on the matchup, they played two dramatic games a year ago, but that was due to scheduling quirk to try goal to match competitive balance between two new teams.

MLS teams typically play a foe from the other conference once a year, so Calvo’s words won’t be completely on the line against Atlanta until 2019 — with a likely trip south next season.

But the cameras love snowflakes, so maybe MLS has taken notice and will schedule a derby between the two in front of a Wonderwall of diehard United supporters at Allianz Field next spring. That sounds like a wintry mix ripe for hype.

Heath got behind the theory of a brewing rivalry. “It does mean something when you come into the league together,” said Heath, who has experience with Orlando’s arranged marriage to New York City FC in 2015. “Obviously, (Atlanta is) the media darlings of everywhere in the league, so that probably adds a little bit to it as well from our point of view.”

After Minnesota’s 6-1 loss to Atlanta in the snowy first MLS game in Minnesota in March 2017, the Loons topped Atlanta 3-2 with a thrilling, extra-time goal from Kevin Molino in Georgia in October. Calvo mentioned that game during his comments last Saturday.

“Calvo is right,” Heath said of his captain’s message, “but the only way we change that narrative is by winning on the field.”