Blas Pérez


Blas Antonio Pérez Ortega is a Panamanian former professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Dallas Sidekicks in the Major Arena Soccer League.

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. 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 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. 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. He played for Pachuca for the 2009 Clausura in a loan deal after Miguel Sabah's transfer to Pachuca did not work out. 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 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. 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. He was later signed by Club León from the Liga de Ascenso in the 2010 edition of the Mexican draft. 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. On 2 December 2015, it was announced that FC Dallas would not be renewing Perez's contract.
On 16 February 2016, Perez was traded to Vancouver Whitecaps FC for Mauro Rosales. 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.
On 25 November 2018, Pérez retired from playing professional football.
He came out of retirement in 2022, however, to play arena soccer with the Dallas Sidekicks of the Major Arena Soccer League. Perez was nominated for the league's Newcomer of the Year honor. In June 2024, it was announced that Pérez had re-signed for the 2024–25 season.

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. 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 and played for Panama at the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, 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, eventually being named to the final 23-man selection.

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.

Personal life

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

Career statistics

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
124 April 2001Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama1–02–0Friendly
26 September 2006Estadio Mateo Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala2–02–1Friendly
38 June 2007Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States2–13–22007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
410 June 2007Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States2–12–22007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
516 June 2007Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States1–21–22007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
631 March 2009Estadio Agustín Sánchez, La Chorrera, Panama2–04–0Friendly
731 March 2009Estadio Agustín Sánchez, La Chorrera, Panama3–04–0Friendly
831 March 2009Estadio Agustín Sánchez, La Chorrera, Panama4–04–0Friendly
97 June 2009National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica1–02–3Friendly
109 July 2009Reliant Stadium, Houston, United States1–11–12009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
1112 July 2009University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, United States1–04–02009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
1218 July 2009Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States1–01–22009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
133 March 2010Estadio José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela2–02–1Friendly
1411 August 2010Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama2–13–1Friendly
158 October 2010Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama1–01–0Friendly
1621 January 2011Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama1–11–12011 Copa Centroamericana
177 June 2011Ford Field, Detroit, United States1–03–22011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
186 September 2011Estadio Nacional de Fútbol, Managua, Nicaragua2–12–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
197 October 2011Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica3–05–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2011 October 2011Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama1–05–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2111 October 2011Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama2–05–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2211 October 2011Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama5–05–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2311 November 2011Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama1–02–0Friendly
2415 November 2011Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama3–03–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
251 June 2012Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama1–02–1Friendly
268 June 2012Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras1–02–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
278 June 2012Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras2–02–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2811 September 2012Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama2–02–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2913 January 2013Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama2–02–0Friendly
3025 January 2013Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica1–03–12013 Copa Centroamericana
3126 March 2013Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama2–02–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
3220 July 2013Georgia Dome, Atlanta, United States4–16–12013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
3320 July 2013Georgia Dome, Atlanta, United States6–16–12013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
3424 July 2013Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, United States1–02–12013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
357 September 2014Cotton Bowl, Dallas, United States1–02–22014 Copa Centroamericana
3610 September 2014BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States1–02–02014 Copa Centroamericana
3731 March 2015Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama1–02–1Friendly
3813 July 2015Sporting Park, Kansas City, United States1–01–12015 CONCACAF Gold Cup
398 January 2016Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama4–04–0Copa América Centenario qualification
406 June 2016Camping World Stadium, Orlando, United States1–02–1Copa América Centenario
416 June 2016Camping World Stadium, Orlando, United States2–12–1Copa América Centenario
4213 June 2017Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama1–12–22018 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Deportivo Cali
Cúcuta Deportivo
  • Categoría Primera A: 2006
Panama
Individual
  • CONCACAF Gold Cup All-Star Team: 2007