COMMERCE CITY — Four minutes before Axel Sjoberg salvaged a dramatic tie for the Rapids in stoppage time last week that kept their three-month unbeaten streak intact with a highly unusual goal for a center back, the 6-foot-7 Swede was toppled by Vancouver defender Kendall Waston and broke his right wrist trying to break his fall.
Things weren’t looking good for the Rapids, who were playing a man down and trailing 2-1. In the 90th minute with five minutes of stoppage time coming, coach Pablo Mastroeni had sent Sjoberg forward to play as a second striker, leaving only three defenders in front of goalkeeper Tim Howard.