Axel Sjöberg is one of the biggest reasons behind the Colorado Rapids turnaround – literally and figuratively.
The 6-foot-7 center back has grown with the Rapids in 2016, improving on an up-and-down rookie year to become a stalwart in Colorado’s league-best defense. The second-year Swede has started 28 of the Rapids’ 30 regular season matches, recording a pair of goals and an assist and placing among the league leaders in several key defensive metrics.
While Sjöberg’s rise to prominence has taken the rest of the league by surprise, the fact that it happened at all is somewhat remarkable.