Blas Perez: Former Professional Soccer Player and Coach

Early Life and Career

Blas Antonio Pérez Ortega (born March 13, 1981) is a Panamanian former professional footballer and current coach who played as a striker.

Born in Panama City, Panama, Pérez began his career with local club Alianza before moving to Colombia to play for Deportivo Cali in 2001.

After two seasons with Cali, he returned to Panama to play for Árabe Unido, where he won the Panamanian league title in 2004.

Pérez made his international debut for Panama in 2001 and went on to become one of the country's most capped players.

He represented Panama at three CONCACAF Gold Cups (2005, 2007, and 2015) and two Copa América tournaments (2016 and 2019).

Pérez scored 43 goals in 117 appearances for Panama, making him the country's all-time leading goalscorer.

In 2007, Pérez joined Mexican club Pachuca, where he won the CONCACAF Champions League in 2008.

He also had stints with CF Monterrey, Querétaro, and León, scoring over 100 goals in the Mexican league.

Pérez was known for his strength, aerial ability, and goal-scoring prowess.

After retiring from playing, Pérez began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Panama national team in 2019.

In 2020, he was appointed as the head coach of Liga Panameña de Fútbol club Tauro F.C.

Under his leadership, Tauro won the Panamanian league title in 2021 and the CONCACAF League in 2022.