FRISCO, Texas -- Much has been made nationally about FC Dallas' embarrassment of riches in terms of young, promising talent.
But in the team’s 1-0 opening-night victory over San Jose on Saturday, it was the team’s oldest player that stole the show by scoring the game winner in the 92nd minute.
“I’m very glad for Blas, who embraces and is an example of our culture as a team,” head coach Oscar Pareja said. “I think he’s showing it, and the game rewards him.”
Perez has been the epitome of consistency for Dallas over the past three seasons, leading the team in scoring each year. But on a team chock-full of young up-and-comers like Fabian Castillo, Tesho Akindele, Mauro Diaz and Michael Barrios, he often gets overlooked by the national spotlight.
But the savvy veteran’s value is certainly not overlooked by his coaching staff, especially not after he took over the game from an offensive standpoint by firing five shots, three of which were on goal.
“He’s a good example for me at what we’re doing,” Pareja said. “What we’re doing now is not teaching them, but helping to them to learn, which is very different.
“And Blas is leading that.”
Perez has embraced his role as a leader in more ways than just getting in his teammates’ grill when something goes awry on the field. Saturday’s late-game victory over San Jose is just another example of Perez’s leadership qualities, leading by example and never letting up in the waning moments of a game.
In a game where Dallas carved out scoring opportunities left and right, the team failed to capitalize consistently for over 90 minutes. But Perez never took his foot off the gas, even when a draw seemed all but inevitable.
“This is a team of fighters,” Perez said through a translator. “This is a team that is never going to give up and always look for a way to pull it out.”
The young team got to learn one more lesson from their on-field tutor on Saturday, and Perez reiterated that message after the game.
“At the end, you get the rewards if you keep looking for it, even if it is in the last minute,” Perez said.
