As Colorado wraps up the most successful MLS regular season
in their history, defender Axel Sjoberg and his teammates are not taking this
Sunday off, nor wilting under any pressure, as they look to take down Houston
on the way to an unprecedented home unbeaten run all season.
“Pressure makes diamonds, that’s what my college coach used
to say,” Axel revealed to The Voice of C38 this week. “I think there’s always pressure in every
game, especially as the season is winding down, but I don’t think pressure as a
bad thing. I embrace pressure honestly.”
That kind of mentality is easily recognized as the mellow
Sjoberg talks about this season, and one wonders if he ever gets rattled even
as the Rapids race for the Supporter’s Shield or bigger silverware in the next
couple of months.
“We’ve got the Shield to play for, our (unbeaten) home
record to play for, it’s the last game before playoffs revving up for playoffs,
so in my mind every game there’s been a lot to play for and it’s no different
this time.”
A major reason Colorado is able to play for such records
this year has been its defensive prowess as a squad and not just the four
defenders, or goalkeeper, or defensive midfielders-something Sjoberg is quick
to point out. “It’s not the backline
only,” of which Axel has been a part of in 30 matches this season.
“It starts at the top, they make it predictable for the play
at the very beginning then we force them into good areas and it makes it easier
for us defenders. We work for each other
defensively which is why you say ‘team’.
Working as a team for the entire season and solidifying our defensive
identity, the longer you go playing a certain way really helps being proactive
as a defender and has helped me this year.”
Sjoberg has been the name capable of being written on the
lineup card in sharpie all season, and despite the competitiveness of a
professional footballer, he thinks sitting out of last Sunday’s match should
benefit him for the postseason run. “It’s
hard to tell in hindsight but I guess we’ll find out after the playoffs if it
was the right decision or not,” admits Sjoberg.
However, it wasn’t a punishment or surprise to the towering
defender, but rather something he talked over with Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni
and agreed it would be for the best. “I
talked to Pablo beforehand. It’s been a
long season and it was a tough decision because we’ve got the playoffs looming.
After San Jose-2 games in 5 days-I was feeling it like everyone else was.”
“It was frustrating-being on the sideline not being able to
help on the field is something I haven’t really experienced this season. My body feels good now. A few days extra rest
did me good so at least that’s a positive.”
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