Photo: Courtesy of Major League Soccer
NASHVILLE – On Tuesday, Nashville SC deepened its reserves at center-back by signing 33-year-old veteran defender Brent Kallman. Kallman trialed with Nashville during the 2024 preseason, ensuring a regular-season deal just weeks before the commencement of the MLS season.
Kallman spent the last seven seasons with Minnesota United where he appeared 114 times for the Loons in regular season play. However, the Nebraska native played only 194 minutes last season in MLS competition as he sat primarily behind Michael Boxall and Miguel Tapias in Minnesota’s pecking order.
With the addition of Kallman, Mike Jacobs and Gary Smith now have a plethora of options at the center-back position. Lukas MacNaughton will likely be the first option to pair alongside Walker Zimmerman in the Starting XI, and when factoring in the likes of Jack Maher, Josh Bauer, and now Brent Kallman, the Boys in Gold harbor a group that just about any other MLS club would lust after.
Of course, Zimmerman carrying the prestigious honor of being one of the best American center-backs throughout the world comes with an unavoidable caveat for Nashville – he will be wearing the Red, White, and Blue for much of the summer in place of the Electric Gold.
Nashville will likely be without its captain for the majority of June due to the United States’ participation in this year’s Copa America tournament, and should Greg Berhalter’s group meet its lofty expectations, Zimmerman may not return until the end of July.
Zimmerman’s absence certainly factored into the club’s decision to add the veteran Kallman as it will be all hands on deck for Nashville SC come the summer.
