Loons turn to veteran Brent Kallman to step up at center back

Minnesota United defender Brent Kallman began this, his sixth MLS season, by starting the first five regular-season games.

There's opportunity to start the final seven for his hometown team now that center back Bakaye Dibassy is out for the season — and maybe more — because of a ruptured quadricep tendon he'll have surgically repaired on Wednesday.

Kallman came on for Dibassy in the seventh minute of Saturday's 2-1 home victory over Houston and finished the game. He is the obvious choice to start at Dibassy's spot alongside fellow center back Michael Boxall on Wednesday night at Real Salt Lake.

It would be Kallman's ninth start in 14 appearances this season — and his 101st MLS game appearance.

"Every time he has been asked to step in and do a job, he does," Boxall said. "Showed it again [Saturday]. Looks like we've got to get the partnership back together again down this stretch of the season. I'm happy it's him and we're good to go."

It's also the first time this season Kallman sports a bushy mustache his teammates have noticed.

"If we win with it, he has got to keep it," Boxall said.

Seven regular-season games remain for a Loons team that is 8-1-2 in its past 11 and third in the Western Conference. But now they're expected to start Wednesday's game with the left side of their backline missing. DJ Taylor probably will start again for injured Kemar Lawrence at left back and Kallman alongside Boxall at center back.

The Loons have until Friday's roster "freeze" deadline to sign another center back, but coach Adrian Heath said his club has no plans to do so even though it has the salary capability. Replacement options include Kallman, former first-round pick Nabi Kibunguchy and Kervin Arriaga, who has played the position in Honduras with his club and national teams.

"BK has waited patiently for his go," Heath said about Kallman. "He has never let us down when he has been called upon, and it's next man up. We've got a couple other options we could use, but I'm happy with the fact that them two [Boxall and Kallman] have played together on numerous occasions. Brent came on and did so well Saturday."

Kallman calls it "trust that I've earned from him [Heath] and showed him over the years, so I'll do my best to repay it."

"I've played a lot of games in a lot of different circumstances on teams that were not so good, on teams that have been heavily rotated," he said. "Then there has been times when I got a run of games on teams that were really good, that were contenders."

One of Woodbury's own, Kallman started games to begin the season when Heath shifted Dibassy and others to outside positions because right back Romain Metanire was — and still is — injured.

Now Kallman has his chance again.

"It's the reason why you try to train hard and stay ready, just in case something like this were to happen," Kallman said. "It's really unfortunate for Bakaye. You hate to see it. ... For me, it's getting locked in. I'm not putting a ton of pressure on myself because I know as I get a run of games, I will find my form and my fitness will come up. I'll just take it a game at a time, a day at a time."

It helps that Kallman and Boxall have trained together for six years and teamed together often during that time.

"For sure," Kallman said. "Not just him, but all the defenders are pretty experienced. So a lot of the little things you'd be concerned about already have been ironed out."

Everything except for that mustache and whether it should stay or go.

"I was shaving and I was just messing around," he said. "Nothing more to it than that."

It has Boxall's support, if the Loons win.

"It's only going to get longer and filthier," Boxall said.