Rafael Ramos hasn’t had the season he had hoped for. In the match against the Montreal Impact at the end of May, Ramos injured his hamstring. He worked hard to heal and regain his strength, and came back for a U.S Open Cup match a month later. But just before the end of the first half, he went down. He had injured his hamstring again.

It’s been a long journey for Ramos, including three months of watching the MLS action from the sidelines. But with determination, Ramos recovered from his injury and made his first start since in an MLS match since May on Sunday afternoon.

“I feel great,” Ramos said after the match. “A little tired now because I haven’t played 90 minutes in a while but it felt great. I think that everyone worked hard so it was easier for me to get into the action.”

After the match, Head Coach Jason Kreis praised the defensive performance. For Ramos, it feels good to know that he contributed to the team and helped the team earn three points in one of their final matches.

“I did my best to help my team get the win,” Ramos said. “We are playing for ourselves, for the club, for the community and for pride, and that’s a good reason to play.”

Ramos, along with Midfielder Cristian Higuita, who is also coming back from injury, were both able to perform for the full 90 minutes of the match-- an impressive feat for their first MLS starts in months. Ramos is hoping to take advantage of the opportunities he has in these last few weeks of the season, to prove to his coach and his teammates that he can and will contribute to the team next year.