Players

A veteran central defender who joined Minnesota United in the 2014 season, Tiago Calvano added another critical piece towards building a championship caliber roster. The 34-year-old is a 6'2'' central defender who began his playing career in 2001 in his native Rio de Janeiro playing for Botafogo, a club playing in Brazil's Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.

Calvano moved to Europe in 2004-05 to play with FC Barcelona's reserve team. After two years in Spain, he moved to the Swiss top flight team BSC Young Boys, where he played for three years, recording 86 appearances. After three years in Germany playing for MSV Duisburg and Fortuna Dusseldorf, Tiago made the move to Australia, where he played with the Newcastle Jets from 2011-13, before playing for Sydney FC in 2013.

Personal

• Hometown: Rio de Janeiro
• Favorite colors: black and blue
• Favorite desert: Tiramisu
• Favorite TV show: Globo Esporte (it's Brazilian)
• Languages: Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, German, English, and French

Career

2015: Calvano once again was a mainstay in the Minnesota defense in 2015. His aerial abilities and solid tackling helped United to another record breaking season with one of the top defenses in the NASL. Calvano made two appearances in the NASL Team of the Week and scored one goal and one assist for the Loons.

2014: Became the main player in the central defense for United. He made 25 starts, made the NASL team of the week once and was named to the NASL Best XI.

2013: Calvano signed for Sydney FC as an injury replacement after leaving A-League rivals Newcastle Jets. Coming straight into the starting eleven after signing for Sydney, he made his debut in Sydney's 7–1 demolition of Wellington Phoenix. Sydney made his position permanent, signing a one year deal with the club for the 2013–14 A-League season.

2011-2013: Calvano signed a two-year contract with Newcastle Jets FC of Australia's A-League. He earned his way into the starting lineup early in his first season and scored one goal in 28 appearances.

2008-2011: Calvano played in Germany for four season. First for MSV Duisburg and then Fortuna Düsseldorf.

2005-2008: For four seasons, Calvano was a key part of Swiss team BSC Young Boys defense. He made 86 appearances for the club, netting a total of five goals for the club.

2004-2005: After impressing scouts during his time in Brazil and two Italian clubs, Calvano joined FC Barcelona's B team, making 27 appearances for the Spanish side.

2001-2003: Calvano made 13 appearances and scored one goal for Botafogo of Brazil before going to Europe to join Italian clubs AC Perugia and Sambenedettese Calcio.