Blas Pérez

Blas Antonio Pérez Ortega (born 13 March 1981) is a Panamanian former professional footballer who played as a forward.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Pérez and the second or maternal family name is Ortega.

Blas Pérez
Pérez with Panama at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Blas Antonio Pérez Ortega
Date of birth (1981-03-13) 13 March 1981
Place of birth Panama City, Panama
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2000 Panamá Viejo 56 (37)
2001–2002 Árabe Unido 36 (10)
2002 Nacional 2 (0)
2003 Envigado 29 (6)
2004 Centauros 37 (29)
2005–2006 Deportivo Cali 54 (20)
2006–2007 Cúcuta Deportivo 33 (15)
2007–2008 Hércules 16 (4)
2008–2012 UANL 31 (8)
2009 → Pachuca (loan) 19 (7)
2009 → Al Wasl (loan) 8 (4)
2010 → San Luis (loan) 16 (5)
2010–2011 → León (loan) 30 (19)
2011 → Indios (loan) 12 (3)
2012–2015 FC Dallas 103 (37)
2016 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 22 (6)
2017 Árabe Unido 2 (2)
2017 Blooming 10 (4)
2017-2018 Municipal 39 (15)
2018 Árabe Unido 9 (0)
Total 556 (232)
International career
2001–2018 Panama 123 (42)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Pérez began his career in his native Panama with Panamá Viejo. He made his debut with the club in 1998 and went on to score 27 goals in 56 matches. In 2001, he joined Árabe Unido and continued his goal scoring form. In 2002, he joined top Uruguayan side Nacional. The following season, he left for Colombia signing with Envigado, scoring a goal on his debut against Independiente Medellin in the process.[2] After one season at the club he joined Centauros and went on to score 29 goals in 37 matches, catching the attention of one of Colombia's top clubs Deportivo Cali. For the 2005 season he signed with Cali[3] and remained at the club for two years in which he continued with his goal scoring form. In 2006 Perez joined Cúcuta. With Cúcuta, Perez won the Copa Mustang in 2006 against Deportes Tolima. In 2007 Cúcuta and Blas Perez made their debut in Copa Libertadores, in which Blas scored eight goals, including two against Argentina's Boca Juniors. The eight goals were the second-most in the tournament.

On 29 May 2007, Spanish Segunda División team Hércules CF signed Super Ratón on a four-year contract in which they acquired 50% of the players rights.[4] It was valued at US$2.7 million, with Blas Perez earning 60 thousand dollars per month. Perez enjoyed a brief stay in Spain in which he scored four goals in 16 matches.

On 18 January 2008, he signed with UANL Tigres, his seventh club in his career and first in Mexico.[5] He played for Pachuca for the 2009 Clausura in a loan deal after Miguel Sabah's transfer to Pachuca did not work out.[6] He scored eight goals in 15 matches with Pachuca.

After his impressive display in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Al Wasl FC of Dubai was able to secure Blas Pérez services to play in the UAE League[7] based on Al Wasl's new coach Alexandre Guimarães recommendation. He stayed there only for the first half of the 2009–10 season before moving back to Mexico to play for San Luis.[8] After having played 17 games in the Torneo Bicentenario and 2 in the 2010 edition of the Copa Libertadores and having scored 5 goals in both tournaments, he was released at the end of the season.[9] He was later signed by Club León from the Liga de Ascenso in the 2010 edition of the Mexican draft.[10] he rediscovered his goal scoring form with Club León with 19 goals in 28 matches. For the second half of the 2011 season he was again sent on loan this time to Indios. For the 2012 Major League Soccer season, he signed with FC Dallas.[11] On 2 December 2015, it was announced that FC Dallas would not be renewing Perez's contract.[12]

On 16 February 2016, Perez was traded to Vancouver Whitecaps FC for Mauro Rosales.[13] At the conclusion of the 2016 season Perez's contract was not renewed. On 31 January 2017, Pérez signed with Panamanian club, C.D. Árabe Unido.[14]

On 25 November 2018, Pérez retired from playing professional football.[15] He came out of retirement in 2022, however, to play arena soccer with the Dallas Sidekicks of the Major Arena Soccer League.

International career

Pérez made his debut for Panama in a March 2001 friendly match against El Salvador and, up until his international retirement in 2018, earned a total of 123 caps, scoring 42 goals.[16] He is Panama's fifth all-time record cap holder and second all-time leading goalscorer after Luis Tejada. He represented his country in 35 FIFA World Cup qualification matches[17] and played for Panama at the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup,[18] in which they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by the United States. He ended up as Panama's top scorer, with three goals and one assist. Pérez was also named in the tournament's "Best XI". He also played in the 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 editions of the Gold Cup, as well as the Copa América Centenario.

In May 2018, Pérez was named in Panama's preliminary 35-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, eeventually being named to the final 23-man selection.[19]

Assault attempt

On 23 July 2009, two cars chased Pérez's Nissan 350Z early at the morning while he was travelling along the La Chorrera highway. The assaulting cars intercepted him when one of them collided with it forcing it to stop. Pérez managed to escape from the attackers and sustained no injuries but his car was heavily damaged.[20]

Personal life

Pérez holds a U.S. green card which qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.[13]

Career statistics
Scores and results list Panama's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Pérez goal.
List of international goals scored by Blas Pérez[21]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
124 April 2001Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Haiti1–02–0Friendly
26 September 2006Estadio Mateo Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala Guatemala2–02–1Friendly
38 June 2007Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States Honduras2–13–22007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
410 June 2007Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States Cuba2–12–22007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
516 June 2007Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States United States1–21–22007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
631 March 2009Estadio Agustín Sánchez, La Chorrera, Panama Haiti2–04–0Friendly
73–0
84–0
97 June 2009National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica Jamaica1–02–3Friendly
109 July 2009Reliant Stadium, Houston, United States Mexico1–11–12009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
1112 July 2009University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, United States Nicaragua1–04–02009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
1218 July 2009Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States United States1–01–22009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
133 March 2010Estadio José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela Venezuela2–02–1Friendly
1411 August 2010Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Venezuela2–13–1Friendly
158 October 2010Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama El Salvador1–01–0Friendly
1621 January 2011Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Costa Rica1–11–12011 Copa Centroamericana
177 June 2011Ford Field, Detroit, United States Guadeloupe1–03–22011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
186 September 2011Estadio Nacional de Fútbol, Managua, Nicaragua Nicaragua2–12–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
197 October 2011Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica Dominica3–05–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2011 October 2011Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Nicaragua1–05–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
212–0
225–0
2311 November 2011Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Costa Rica1–02–0Friendly
2415 November 2011Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Dominica3–03–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
251 June 2012Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Jamaica1–02–1Friendly
268 June 2012Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras Honduras1–02–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
272–0
2811 September 2012Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Canada2–02–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2913 January 2013Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Guatemala2–02–0Friendly
3025 January 2013Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica Guatemala1–03–12013 Copa Centroamericana
3126 March 2013Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Honduras2–02–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
3220 July 2013Georgia Dome, Atlanta, United States Cuba4–16–12013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
336–1
3424 July 2013Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, United States Mexico1–02–12013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
357 September 2014Cotton Bowl, Dallas, United States Costa Rica1–02–22014 Copa Centroamericana
3610 September 2014BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States Nicaragua1–02–02014 Copa Centroamericana
3731 March 2015Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Costa Rica1–02–1Friendly
3813 July 2015Sporting Park, Kansas City, United States United States1–01–12015 CONCACAF Gold Cup
398 January 2016Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Cuba4–04–0Copa América Centenario qualification
406 June 2016Camping World Stadium, Orlando, United States Bolivia1–02–1Copa América Centenario
412–1
4213 June 2017Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Honduras1–12–22018 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Deportivo Cali

Cúcuta Deportivo

  • Categoría Primera A: 2006

Individual

  • CONCACAF Gold Cup All-Star Team: 2007

See also

References
  1. "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  2. Pérez anotó un gol en su debut con el Envigado - Panamá América (in Spanish)
  3. Blas Pérez jugará en Colombia con el Cali - Panamá América (in Spanish)
  4. "Blas: A Panamanian trailblazer". FIFA.com. 2 August 2007. Archived from the original on 17 August 2007.
  5. "Blas Pérez es Tigre". Archived from the original on 21 January 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  6. "Miguel Sabah ya no irá a Pachuca, Blas Pérez es el bueno". Archived from the original on 30 December 2008. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  7. "Blas Pérez Moves to AlWasl". Tanto Futbol (in Spanish). 17 July 2009. Archived from the original on 22 August 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
  8. Llega Blas Pérez al San Luis - ESPN (in Spanish)
  9. "Blas Pérez fue dado de baja por el San Luis". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  10. "Blas Pérez y Juan Roldán, nuevos jugadores esmeraldas". Archived from the original on 28 May 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  11. Blas Pérez jugará con el FC Dallas - Mediotiempo (in Spanish)
  12. "Panama forward Blas Pérez writes farewell message to FC Dallas fans". MLS. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  13. "Whitecaps FC acquire striker Blas Pérez from FC Dallas". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  14. "Blas Pérez y Árabe Unido: cuántos partidos jugó y cuántas etapas tuvo en el club". Fútbol Centroamérica (in European Spanish). Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  15. "Panamanian World Cup Blas Pérez retires from professional soccer". www.panamatoday.com. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  16. Blas Antonio Miguel Pérez - International Goals Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine - RSSSF
  17. Blas Pérez – FIFA competition record (archived)
  18. CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2007 - Full Details Archived 24 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine - RSSSF
  19. "Revealed: Every World Cup 2018 squad - 23-man & preliminary lists & when will they be announced? - Goal.com". Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  20. "Perez targeted in robbery attacks". Panama Star. 24 July 2009. Archived from the original on 25 July 2009.
  21. Roberto Mamrud. "Blas Antonio Miguel Pérez - International Goals". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
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