With Francisco Calvo going to the World Cup, Minnesota United is presented with several questions about the future.
Minnesota United captain Francisco Calvo is headed to Russia next month. Costa Rica manager Oscar Ramirez announced his 23-man World Cup squad on Tuesday, and Calvo, recently having been a fixture on the left for Costa Rica, was included in the squad. Loons loanee Johan Venegas (currently at Saprissa) was also included in Ramirez’s squad. So, what does Calvo’s World Cup chance mean for Minnesota United?
Calvo will miss at least three Minnesota United matches while away at the World, and could miss as many as six matches, depending on how far Costa Rica goes in the tournament. This should mean a lot of playing time this summer for Minnesota native Brent Kallman, who made 23 appearances for the Loons last season, but lost his starting spot when Michael Boxall was brought in during last summer’s transfer window.
Kallman will have a chance to show why he deserves more opportunities moving forward. Another player who benefits for Calvo’s departure is rookie Center back Wyatt Omsberg, who should be recalled from the Tulsa Roughnecks to provide depth behind Boxall and Kallman. Omsberg has made two appearances so far this, and showed promise, but there was just no room for him on Minnesota’s roster.
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Another possible consequence, and one many Minnesota fans have had in the backs of their minds, is the possibility of Calvo having a very good showing in Russia for Costa Rica, and the inevitibility of European suitors showing interest if that happens.
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After a $1M bid from an unnamed Asian club was rejected last summer, the Loons brass reportedly placed a $2M minimum price tag on the Costa Rican. If a bid comes in that exceeds that, Minnesota’s Front Office may need to accept. In the event that that happens, Minnesota will probably use these next few weeks to decide whether or not a Kallman-Boxall CB pairing is good enough, or if they’ll need to find a new Center back this summer.
The main problem that a Kallman-Boxall pairing presents in that neither are particularly good passers, which will really limit Minnesota’s ability to play the ball out of the back, which is what Francisco Calvo was usually tasked with.
Playing out of the back is somewhat of a necessity as well, considering the only other option for getting the ball up the pitch is keeper Bobby Shuttleworth, who really struggles with distribution himself. Should Calvo be sold, Minnesota United may need to find more of a ball-playing CB to remedy this issue.
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Will Francisco Calvo impress in Russia? Will he be sold to a European suitor? Will Brent Kallman and Michael Boxall work out as a Center back pairing? These are all questions that will be answered in the coming weeks, and it will certainly be interesting to find out the answers.