This article is an extended version of the interview found on page 11 of the April 23, 2001 issue of Soccer America Magazine. Dayak: ‘I’m here for the long run’ Troy Dayak, a staple of San Jose’s defense before a “career-ending” neck injury in 1998, returned to MLS with the first goal and a galvanizing performance on the back line during the Earthquakes’ 3-2 stunner over the L.A. Galaxy at the Rose Bowl. INTERVIEW BY SCOTT FRENCH SOCCER AMERICA: You couldn’t have asked for a better return to the league. TROY DAYAK: It’s like a fairy tale for me right now. I’m basking in the glow, you might say. It’s been such a hard process getting back. I thank my close friends, family and fans for being so supportive. Only they and myself know how hard it was and how much of a Cinderella story it is coming back, scoring in the first 10 minutes. I lost my voice and got stomach cramps from screaming after that. SA: You nearly climbed into the seats — who were you celebrating with? TD: A group you might call old Casbah fans, old Clash fans, that trekked up for the game. Before the game, a guy came down to railing, “Dayak, we love you, welcome back.” I wanted to show my appreciation. They got me pumped up, and I got the team pumped up. SA: It was a long road back. TD: I [herniated the disk at] C5/C6 — in my spine. A piece of bone was taken out of my hip and surgically fused in the vertebrae in my neck. My daughter was 1 at the time; I was in a neck brace, basically looking up to the ceiling for 2 months. I couldn’t pick her up to give her a hug. … It took an extraordinarily long time to heal, almost a year and a half. I came back, and [Earthquakes coach] Frank Yallop was an assistant in Tampa. He had me come try out for the Mutiny, and they wanted to sign me to a one-year contract, but we couldn’t come to terms [I needed] to uproot my family [from the Bay Area]. I decided to forego MLS and stay locally, play [and later coach] with the [former A-League team Bay Area] Seals. Then I signed a contract with an Australian First Division team, the New Zealand Kingz. I signed a letter of intent for after the season with the Seals. Third game into the season, I tore my PCL and MCL all in one fell swoop. That’s an awkward combination of ligaments. And I had cellulitis, a cellular [disorder]. SA: One thing after another. TD: Just freak accidents. The neck injury was an accident, a totally freak thing. I was tripped in front of the keeper, going full speed, and his knee collided with the top of my head, just [scrunched my neck] down and the disk erupted. They said it was career-ending at the time. I came close to being paralyzed, within millimeters. I can’t tell you how big a relief it was coming back, to be able to play at that level and not miss a beat, to spark the team like that. SA: I expected an improved Earthquakes, but you guys really took the Galaxy apart in the first half. TD: I don’t think anyone expected us to win that game. I certainly felt we could. I knew we had a good preseason even though we didn’t win a game against an MLS opponent. I knew we had a very solid defense. Me and Jeff [Agoos] are very experienced in the back, we know how each other plays, even though we haven’t played together before. That makes it very easy to play and guide the younger players around us. We’ve got a nice mixture of youth and experience, and that’s what you need. Look at what [Kansas City coach Bob] Gansler does: He brings in two guys with experience, he’s got good players and youth around, and look what happens. Frankie is that kind of coach. He recognizes that, cuts out the cancer, cuts out the bickering in practice, everyone plays for each other. … That’s the type of team we have here. I went into the game really confident. I told the guys in the locker room: “Let’s take this baby for a test drive, see what it can do.” SA: I was very impressed with Dwayne DeRosario. TD: He’s a fantastic player. I really, really think he’ll be a solid forward in this league. … The last 10 minutes of the game, he came back to me and said, “You’re the one who needs to fire us up. Let’s not lose this lead.” I love to see that coming from a forward. It’s nice to have forwards who chase, fight and scrap until the final whistle. SA: L.A. scored twice in the last 10 minutes … TD: L.A.’s a good team. I’ve been in that stadium with a lead and they’ve come back on us before. I told the guys at halftime [that L.A.] has a potent offense, they can come right back into the game. Let’s not let them back in it. They got the first one, the crowd got fired up, and then the second one slipped through us. It was a little nerve-rattling. SA: Things may have turned out different if not for your stop on Mauricio Cienfuegos’ shot early in the second half. TD: That was an old hockey-style [save]. It cracks me up. You always have critical fans who say, ôYou had a C5/C6 herniation, a re-fusion in your neck,ö but I headed the ball [for the goal] in the ninth minute — with my head and neck — then I make a diving block with my face, putting my body on the line. If that doesn’t shut those people up, nothing will. I’m here to play for this team, and I’m here for the long run. (Scott French is a senior editor at Soccer America).