CARSON, Calif. – Ever since June 29, 2013, whenever a new edition of the California Clasico comes around, LA Galaxy forward Alan Gordon knows what everyone wants to talk about: his stoppage time game winner at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California, as a member of the San Jose Earthquakes.
That day in front of a hot crowd of 50,026 fans, Gordon authored one of the most memorable chapters of MLS’s fierce Golden State rivalry in what he describes as a “top seven moment” in his career.
In the 68th minute, barely four minutes after he had stepped onto the pitch in substitution of Steven Lenhart, he made his presence felt by cutting into the Galaxy’s 2-0 lead by redirecting a Shea Salinas cross past goalie Carlo Cudicini. At 93 minutes, Salinas would even things up with a strike of his own, but San Jose wasn’t done there. A minute later, Gordon showed up on the scoresheet once again to seal an improbable 3-2 victory for the 10-man Quakes and rip the heart out of his former team with another formidable header.
Even after reliving his thrilling strike time and time again, Gordon still fondly remembers how it went down.
“It started off with [Marvin] Chavez juking A.J. [DeLaGarza], making him fall down, then he laughed at him when he was on the ground,” said Gordon, who is one 25 players in history who have played for both teams. “He crossed it over the field. Sam Cronin took a touch, chipped it to me at the back post, then I dunked it over A.J. after he got up off the ground”.
According to the Long Beach, California native, the goal was nothing more than a product of San Jose’s characteristic relentlessness.
“It just happened. ‘Goonies’ never say die, we just kept on fighting, trying to the get the goal, you know,” he explained, referencing the movie-inspired mantra that became synonymous with the Earthquakes during their 2012 Supporters' Shield run.
The aftermath was just as crazy as the header itself.
“I remember getting a yellow card for ripping my shirt off, a lot of people hitting me, it was pretty wild,” said Gordon.
After that night, the forward forever solidified his penchant for scoring in the final minutes of matches, some of which you can also see in the video above. Gordon contributes this to simply trying to make the most of what he is given.
“It usually happens when I get subbed in to a game. I usually get five minutes to do something and that’s usually when I am scoring,” he said.
Two years ago, Gordon returned to the Galaxy, where he had previously played from 2004 to 2010, after having spent three and a half seasons in San Jose.
He remembers how his new teammates and old fans welcomed him back knowing what he had done to them a year earlier.
“They hated me here…the fans let me have it,” Gordon said with a grin.
This Saturday when both teams lock horns again at Stanford Stadium for MLS Heineken Rivalry Edición Especial (10 pm ET, Univision), the MLS veteran is looking forward to repeating his 2013 heroics, only this time in favor of the visiting team.
“I hope so. I would like to replay that on the opposite side,” he said.
