When Ike Opara left Sporting Kansas City for Minnesota United, there were whispers. Whispers that the 30-year-old had peaked, that the 2017 MLS Defender of the Year was no longer what he was, that the team with which he had won the MLS Cup in 2013 and the U.S. Open Cup in 2015 and 2017 had made the right choice between Opara and Andreu Fontas. As the 2019 season draws to a close, those whispers have gone quiet.
In Minnesota, Opara has helmed a defense that’s improved in both measurable and less obvious ways. In 2017 and 2018, MNUFC conceded 70 and 71 goals, respectively.