SAN JOSE, Calif. - The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that defender Troy Dayak has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee and will miss the remainder of the 2005 season. Dayak, who earlier this season announced that 2005 would be his last season in MLS, suffered the injury in the first half of San Jose's game against FC Dallas on Saturday, May 14 at Spartan Stadium.
Dayak, 34, underwent a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) exam on Monday afternoon, where the tear was confirmed. Surgery is scheduled to repair the injury in the next few weeks. In 2005, Dayak has started all seven games and scored one goal on April 9 against Chivas USA.
"I am very saddened to hear the results of Troy's MRI," Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear said. "He has been a great player for this organization and this league throughout his career. His injury is a tough blow for Troy personally as well as for the team. Troy is an important part of our team and has been a major contributor for us, but we are well aware that unfortunately injuries are a part of this game and I think that we have a strong enough team to get us through this difficult situation."
"I am disappointed that I won't be able to finish out this season with the team," said Dayak. "I hope that I can remain a positive influence for the team this year in whatever capacity that I am needed in. I think that we have a good team and they are going to have a strong finish to this season."
Born in Walnut Creek, Calif. Dayak was a member of the original MLS team in San Jose, the Clash, in 1996 and is currently in his eighth season with San Jose. He has played 129 games for San Jose, starting 122, placing him third all-time in club history in those categories. In his career, he has scored nine goals and recorded seven assists, while being named an All-Star in 2001. He also was named the 2001 MLS Comeback Player of the Year, after recovering from a serious neck injury to return to MLS that season and help the Quakes win their first-ever MLS Cup Championship.
A member of the 1992 United States Olympic Team, Dayak was a star for the United States National Team at the Under-20 and Under-23 levels. He also made 11 appearances for the senior U.S. team. He began his professional soccer career with the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks of the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) at age 17 and he helped lead the Blackhawks to the 1991 APSL Championship.
