Sjöberg will get to meet Villa in person on Saturday
Photos: Rapids FC and Kristian Cardillo (Prost Amerika)
Marking Villa is a tall order for 6′ 7″ Rapids rookie Axel Sjöberg
by Richard Fleming
The date was May 24, 2014. The venue was Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, and the occasion was the UEFA Champions League final, in which Real Madrid snatched a stoppage-time equalizer before beating city rivals Atlético Madrid 4-1 after extra-time.
Atlético’s team that day included Spanish international David Villa, who now plays for New York City FC.
Watching the Champions League final unfold, in a hotel in Utah, was a young student. He was 5,100 miles away from the soccer spectacle, but he may as well have been a million miles, so far removed from his world was the drama unfolding in the Portuguese capital.
And yet, on Saturday, 24-year-old Swedish-born defender Axel Sjöberg will likely be the man-mountain marking the former Atlético Madrid and Barcelona player, Villa.
Sjöberg, who is six-foot-seven, has played just 90 minutes of pro soccer, having only arrived at the Colorado Rapids via the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, in which he was the No. 14 overall pick.
Villa, on the other hand, has won most of the sport’s top trophies – FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship, UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup. He is also Spain’s all-time leading scorer, with 59 goals from 97 appearances.
In soccer terms, Villa and Sjöberg are worlds apart, and yet their worlds will collide at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City on Saturday afternoon. The new-look Rapids – still seeking a first MLS win since July 25, 2014 (they’re on a 15 game winless streak) – tackles one of the league’s two newest teams, and one which is already being tipped as a contender for honors this season.
At the other end, expect another Rapids rookie to start against Jason Kreis’s team. Striker Dominique Badji played 88 minutes at Philadelphia Union two weeks ago, before cramp got the better of him. He emerged via the SuperDraft, the 67th overall selection. His journey to the USA, never mind his path into the world of soccer, has been a testing one.
NYCFC looks to continue form against Rapids
Born into poverty in Senegal, he would move to Tanzania and then Zimbabwe, following his father’s job. A family friend offered him a ‘way out’, which he grasped with grateful hands, and what followed was a boarding school education in Virginia, and a college opportunity at Boston University.
In addition to the rookies, the Colorado Rapids have brought in much-needed steel in the form of experienced Sam Cronin, Michael Harrington, Marcelo Sarvas, Bobby Burling and James Riley. Burling and Riley will both sit out Saturday’s encounter due to suspension.
For the Rapids, this marks their home opener, and follows a bruising 0-0 draw at Philadelphia – their only match to date. NYCFC have four points from two games, which include a 1-1 tie at Orlando City on the opening weekend, followed by a 2-0 home victory over New England Revolution last Sunday.
