Hugo Perez

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Hugo Perez
Personal information
Full name	Hugo Perez
Date of birth	November 8, 1963
Place of birth	, El Salvador
Height	ft  in
Position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Retired
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
1982-? 1986 1989-1990 1992 1994 1994-1996	Los Angelas Atecs Tampa Bay Rowdies San Diego Sockers Los Angelas Heat Red Star Paris Örgryte IS Al-Ittihad Los Angelas Salsa C.D. FAS
National team**
1984–1994	United States	73 (16)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 31 May 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of 22 June 2006.

Hugo Ernesto Perez (born November 8, 1963 in El Salvador) is a former soccer midfielder from the United States. He was known as a crafty and creative left-footed midfielder. His left foot was so dominant that it was rare to see him touch the ball with his right foot during a game.

Perez and his family immigrated from El Salvador to the United States when he was 11. He gained his U.S. citizenship in the mid-1980s.

He chose to forego college and in 1982 he signed with the Los Angelas Aztecs of the NASL. Perez also spent time with the Tampa Bay Rowdies before ending up with the San Diego Sockers.

In 1988, he was the championship MVP when the Sockers won the MISL championship.

Perez also had pro stints in France with Red Star Paris. From France, Perez moved to Swedish First Division club Örgryte IS then Saudi Arabian First Division club Al-Ittihad. In 1994, he returned to the United States and played for the Los Angeles Salsa of the American Professional Soccer League. The Salsa folded at the end of the 1994 season and Perez made his last move, to El Salvador First Division Club Deportivo FAS, commonly known as C.D. FAS. In both of Perez' years with the club, 1994-1995 and 1995-1996, C.D. FAS won the El Salvador championship. He retired in 1996 from professional soccer.

He was a member of the American squad that competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics and the 1994 FIFA World Cup. At the World Cup, Perez only played in the second round game against Brazil. Sadly, for such a talented midfielder, this was his only opportunity to play at the game's highest level.

Perez also helped the USA qualify for the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which he missed when he tore ligaments in his leg playing for Red Star Paris, a French Second Division club. He was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year in 1991. He played 73 international matches for the US between 1984 and 1994, in which he scored thirteen goals.

After retiring from playing, Perez moved to the San Fransisco area where he has served as the principal for the Living Hope Christian School as well as serving as an assistant coach on the University of San Fransisco men's soccer team.

	United States squad - 1994 World Cup
1 Meola | 2 Lapper | 3 Burns | 4 Kooiman | 5 Dooley | 6 Harkes | 7 Perez | 8 Stewart | 9 Ramos | 10 Wegerle | 11 Wynalda | 12 Sommer | 13 Jones | 14 Klopas | 15 Moore | 16 Sorber | 17 Balboa | 18 Friedel | 19 Reyna | 20 Caligiuri | 21 Clavijo | 22 Lalas | Coach: Milutinović