Center back Bobby Burling returned to the fields on Sunday night in a 1-1 draw with Colorado Rapids, after the player was nursing a concussion for the past three weeks.

Burling came in as a sub for midfielder Carlos Alvarez as an intent by Chivas USA to keep the 1-1 draw that Colorado had recently got in the 80th minute.

“Going into the mix with six, seven, eight minutes left is a difficult task,” explained the center back. “It’s hard to adjust to the pace of the game and you just hope to come in with energy and some spark to be able to help with whatever is needed.”

Being able to accomplish his goal and finishing Sunday’s match in a draw, the center back turned into a key piece to Monday’s Major League Soccer Reserves League match. To Burling and Chivas’ misfortune, the player suffered a collision with a Colorado attacker, where Burling’s head got kicked with the forward’s cleats.

“I felt pretty good. I came back from a concussion and just like that I got kicked in the head in the last play there, so for precautionary matters, they kept me away from the game and from coming right back in, but I felt pretty good to get some fitness back and to get back into the group and it definitely felt good to play a game,” explained Burling after the match.

With Burling’s exit and Colorado’s subs coming in at full speed, the 1-0 lead the Red-and-White had until then also vanished. In a matter of two minutes, two goals by the Rapids set the final score in the visitors’ favor.

“I think first half we played pretty well, we had a couple of chances and we put away one. In the second half we lost our shape a little bit and our pressure on the ball was better in the first half. We held our shape though, but unfortunately last couple of plays their subs came in and made a difference and we conceded two late goals. We were the better team, so it’s unfortunate to lose, but I think we actually played pretty well,” described Burling.

Once the medical staff gives the defender the clearance, Burling will be able to return to the field and to training as usual with the team ahead of Wednesday, Aug. 21, game against FC Dallas at the StubHub Center.

“It’s a good opportunity, we have had some good results against them this year and this is the third time we are playing them, so hopefully we can get some more points off them as well,” concluded Burling for cdchivasusa.com.

Farfan happy to return to action a day after being sent off

With his night on Sunday against the Colorado Rapids at home in a Western Conference showdown cut short, midfielder Gabriel Farfan said he was happy for the opportunity to log significant minutes of action the following day in Reserve League play against Colorado.

Farfan was the first of three players to be sent off in a wild League match on Sunday at the StubHub Center that featured three red cards, a penalty kick save, and a final 1-1 draw. The Rojiblancos took the early advantage in the fifth minute, but beginning in the 33rd Farfan was issued a straight red for what the referee deemed as an expulsion-worthy challenge, and the Goats were left trying to hold the lead with 10 men.

READ: Chivas USA earn 1-1 draw against Colorado Rapids at home

In a wild turn of events, the Rapids surrendered their man advantage in the 49th minute after Tony Cascio was booked with his second yellow card of the match which resulted in the forward’s expulsion. The parity was short-lived, however, as Tristan Bowen was showed a straight red of his own just 14 minutes later, which once again left the Red-and-White trying to preserve the lead with a man down. The Goats defended as long as they could as Colorado continued to push numbers forward, but the equalizer eventually came late in the 80th minute. Watching from the locker room, Farfan, in his first season with Chivas, said he was definitely not happy over leaving his teammates a man short.

“Obviously it’s a bad feeling,” said Farfan. “I felt awful to leave them on the field with ten to work ten times harder than they should have. I apologized to each and every one of them after the game. Credit to them for sticking to it and getting a tie even after with nine guys. It was a wild game, sometimes games are like that. MLS games are physical.”

READ: Colorado Rapids Reserves claim 2-1 win over Chivas USA with two late scores

A day after being sent off, Farfan came back to tally a first-half score for the Reserves in their 2-1 loss to Colorado, which allowed the 25-year-old midfielder to get in valuable time on the pitch to maintain game rhythm and condition despite not coming away with the result.

“[The match] was good, we had a young group. A lot of guys had a good run out there. I thought we did well the first 50, 60 minutes, but we let our guard down. I think we should have kept going and tried to get another goal but unfortunately we didn’t get that. They got a rhythm and they took advantage of that. They were pressing us pretty hard and they got two goals back-to-back.”

Regardless of the result, Farfan was able to show good form by linking up with Aaron Ponce inside the box to give his side the initial advantage.

“I saw Ponce make a good run down the line. We made eye contact, he knew I was going to run to the second post and he played a perfect ball to me. I just tried to place it inside the back post and luckily it went in,” said Farfan.

Farfan must now sit out a minimum of one game but he also assured that he would approach the work week just as though he was eligible for selection in Chivas’ next match against FC Dallas on Aug. 21 in what will be the second match of a three-game homestand.

Villafaña sees action with First Team and Reserves

After taking the lead and dominating the game for 80 minutes, Chivas USA fell 2-1 against the Colorado Rapids in Reserve League action on Monday afternoon at the StubHub Center. Midfielder Jorge Villafaña, who already saw some action in the Regular Season game against the Rapids on Sunday night, was one of the most experience players in the Red-and-White team that took the pitch for the Reserves game.

“I think it was a good game at a good level,” the Red-and-White midfielder said after the game. “We were dominating for the majority of the game. Two mistakes cost us the game, but that’s how it is. Now we have to improve soccer wise and move on.”

On Sunday night, Villafaña played 24 minutes in the 1-1 draw between Chivas USA and Colorado Rapids in a game in which despite the great effort made by the local team being down two men, the Goats finished by giving up the draw in the 80th minute.

“I think that on Sunday, aside from the suspensions, the team didn’t let their guard down. We earned a draw and that’s better than a loss. Now we have to continue working for our next game,” Villafaña added.

Villafaña and Chivas USA will have to prepare themselves for their next game, the third and final match against FC Dallas set to be played on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 7:30 p.m. (PT) at the StubHub Center. The game against Dallas will be the second consecutive game the Goats will be at home, so with time and without having to worry about external factors such as traveling or other cities’ conditions, the team will have the obligation to add points to their latest victory against Toronto FC and their draw with Colorado.

“At home, we always have to defend ourselves, it’s our home. We have to take advantage of that and what better way than to earn points. We earned a victory against Toronto, a draw with Colorado and hopefully we can earn three points in our next game,” concluded Villafaña.

After two days off, the team will return to their normal training schedule on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. (PT) at the StubHub Center’s Field 6. Until then, follow your Goats on http://www.cdchivasusa.com or on Twitter and Facebook.

Arellano and U.S. U-15 BNT move on to Quarterfinals

Chivas USA Academy player Hugo Arellano and the U.S. U-15 Boys’ National Team advanced today to the Quarterfinals of the Copa Mexico de Naciones after defeating Uruguay 3-1 in their third and final game in Group B.

Two goals by Jose Gallardo in the 44th and 61st minutes, and Haji Wright’s in the 68th sent the U.S. U15 BNT to the next round, atop of their group with six points. The U.S. fell to Brazil by the minimum difference in their opening game, and then won their last two matches 4-0 against Panama and 3-1 today against Uruguay.

The first goal of the match came just a minute before heading into injury time in the first half, in a set piece play from the right flank, where Joe Gallardo headed the ball in for the 1-0 advantage.

Coming into the second half a goal up, the U.S. U15 BNT took control of the game and in the 61st minute in a play ruled by speed in the left flank. Gallardo got rid of an Uruguayan defender and with a strong shot, beat the rival goalkeeper for the 2-0 score in favor of the U.S.

With the U.S. machine going at full speed in the counterattacks, Haji Wright put an end to the party in the 68th minute, finishing a ball from the left side of the pitch, where he was left completely unmarked.

Two minutes later, in a cross sent from the left flank, Uruguay responded back with their lone goal of the match thanks to Joaquin Varela who, after a series of rebounds, headed in the final 3-1.