Michael Boxall's important presence shows in his absences for Minnesota United

No Minnesota United footballer has played more matches for the club than its beloved center back Michael Boxall, or "Boxy." He's made 174 appearances. All starts.

And few shots have flown past him unchecked.

Since joining the Loons early in 2017, their first MLS season, Boxall has been their back-line bouncer. At 6-2 and 201 pounds, he is physical, fast and almost always there.

"Boxy is one of those guys that, of course, when he's [with] the team, he brings such a presence for us," Loons captain and defensive midfielder Wil Trapp said.

Notably, Boxall wasn't with the team a couple of times recently.

Boxall picked up the first red card of his professional career July 23 for a lower-back punch thrown in response to below-the-belt contact by Club Puebla's Guillermo Martínez. Then he watched as the Loons wrapped up their Leagues Cup group stage July 27, surrendering three late goals in a 13-minute span of a 3-2 loss against Chicago Fire FC.

"It's just a quick reaction from me to what happened," Boxall said of the incident. "It's something that hasn't happened to me and, I mean, it was my first red card in however many years."

It was the second time in less than three weeks that Boxall sat while his teammates struggled to hold it together for the full 90-plus minutes.

He served a yellow-card accumulation suspension in a July 8 regular-season rematch with Austin FC, which scored a season-high four goals as part of a dominant win in which left-footed center back Bakaye Dibassy played out of position at right center back.

"It frustrates you a lot more when you're sitting on the sidelines, knowing that maybe you could help it out," Boxall said.

The Loons have had their share of struggles with or without him, having given up 15 of 36 goals in the 70th minute or later across nonfriendly competitions. But it's nonetheless difficult to deny what the 34-year-old New Zealander does well, and how such impact has been missed amid his recent absences.

Boxall ranks in the 98th percentile for defensive actions that lead to a goal, 96th percentile for blocks and 95th percentile for shots blocked among center backs, according to data compiled over the past year by sports analytics company Opta.

"People don't realize Boxy is one of the quickest in the league still, and I don't mean just as a center back," Loons coach Adrian Heath said. "His high-speed running is as comparable as any of the big strikers as well in the league."

As Boxall readies for his return to the pitch Friday at Lower.com Field, a formidable Columbus Crew SC offense awaits — albeit without Lucas Zelarayán, an elite attacking midfielder who was transferred to Al Fateh of the Saudi Pro League this week.

Zelarayán, the 2020 MLS Cup MVP and Newcomer of the Year, was on track to his best statistical season in the league, with 10 goals and six assists in 20 games.

Boxall admitted he's "not unhappy to see him pack his bags."

"You can be a bit more aggressive around the box," Boxall said. "When you're giving away free kicks around the box when he was on the field, [it] was a 50 percent chance at a goal almost. … Any time in space from 30 yards, he can find a top corner."

On the same day Zelarayán's move was made official, Columbus crushed Club América 4-1. The Crew hold the third-best home record in MLS (8-3-1) as an increasingly in-form club that has either won or drawn 10 of its past 11 matches.

Minus Zelarayán, the Crew are still favored vs. the Loons, at least as Heath understands it.

"If you've read anything, we may as well not even turn up then on Friday," he said.

No matter. Boxy will show up ready — as he has since MNUFC's infancy.