Troy Dayak's California Clasico Moment

Written by Paul Dewhurst

By San Jose Earthquakes

August 25^th, 2017

“It was a message to everyone saying I’m scoring and that I’m back and that you’re not going to stop me."

The California Clasico, arguably the greatest rivalry in MLS, has undoubtedly grown to prominence through the gritty performances and heart-stopping finishes at Stanford Stadium.

Some may say Alan Gordon and Shea Salinas' shirtless celebrations have simply overshadowed the great original moments in this highly contested derby.

Try telling that to Troy Dayak.

In 2001, after suffering a severe neck injury that threatened his playing career, the “Cowboy” did the unthinkable: Scored the opening goal against the LA Galaxy at the Rose Bowl with his head.

"Let’s go and see what kind of car we are. Are we a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, a Corvette? What kind of vehicle are we?"

The moment, however, almost never happened.

The match at the Rose Bowl was the first of the 2001 MLS season and Dayak’s first game back from injury. Still in contract negotiations with the club and the league, the Livermore native still wasn’t sure if he’d start the season in a Quakes uniform.

"I almost didn’t sign the contract. I actually signed the contract the night before the game and almost didn’t travel. The team wasn’t sure if they were going to get the deal done and it was a tough situation to be in."

With his contract situation sorted, Dayak was named to the starting lineup in Pasadena. Looking around the locker room, the boisterous veteran had a few choice words for his teammates.

"Going into that game, we had a lot of new players and we weren’t sure what we were going to do and how we would match-up,” Dayak recalls. "It was almost like a test drive. I remember saying to the guys, ‘Let’s go and see what kind of car we are. Are we a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, a Corvette? What kind of vehicle are we?’”

As if it came straight from a movie script, Dayak, up for a corner kick in the ninth minute, made a charging run to the near post, leaped up to meet the ball and sent his snapping header past Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.

“For me to head the ball and score a goal against our rivals in LA was a perfect scenario."

“I remember the goal was something very special to me,” Dayak explained. "For me to head the ball and score a goal against our rivals in LA was a perfect scenario. It proved that the doctors were wrong and I was able to come back and play again. It was a perfect start to my year and it sent the tone.”

The goal? Legendary. The celebration? Unforgettable.

"I was really irreverent at the moment,” Dayak said. "It was a message to everyone saying that I’m scoring and that I’m back and that you’re not going to stop me. That’s how I felt. Just proving the doctors wrong after saying I would never play soccer again. It was a really emotional moment. It seemed like everyone was holding me back from playing and that moment was such a sweet situation."

Dayak’s finish opened the flood gates for the Quakes in the first 30 minutes of the match, grabbing two more goals through Ronald Cerritos and Dwayne De Rosario. In the second half, the Galaxy fought back, finding the back of the net in the 80th and 83rd minute.

“I don’t remember that...I just remember beating them.”

"I don’t remember that,” Dayak said. "I just remember beating them.”

That moxie from Dayak helped lift the Quakes to a crucial 3-2 opening win in LA and helped set the tone for the club’s first-ever MLS Cup championship later that year in Columbus.

“We didn’t have the fancy facilities like they did, so being able to beat LA throughout that year was an amazing accomplishment for us because we didn’t feel that same love. That really fueled our fire throughout the year.”

Footnotes

Written by Paul Dewhurst

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FootNotes

Written by Paul Dewhurst