Hugo Perez, best Salvi-American player ever

[FenoFutbol]

Ok so here is the thing.

For some of you guys that dont know who Hugo is.

He is not Hugo Sanchez, Hugo Perez is a Salvatrucho that played for the US Olympic team, un vendepatria! :D

I saw him playing when he was old for Fas he won a national tittle with Fas. He was very impressive, Riquelme type of player, but I never saw him playing for the US team or in his young years.

I remember my dad and my grandpa talking about how he scored againts El Salvador! and he was Salvadorareño!!! we lost that game 1-0 to the US.

So here is the thing, the few times I saw him playing, I though he was really good, i was very young though, but he was def better than Donovan and all that crap they call soccer here.

The homework is to ask your parents and friends how good was hugo perez, was he borned in the states? how old was he when he came here?

Alrite cheros, vemos, Im kind of busy right now but i may go to watch ES vrs Hon in North Carolina.

Peace, saludos.

[R9Kevinr9]

Never heard of the bloke, but thanks for bringing him up, i will diffanetly do some research.

[panchostein]

Only Magico Gonzalez was better than him.I did see him played and he could have been a lot better but the injury got him.Hugo Perez could have been the second best Salvadorian born player behind el Sr Magico Gonzalez (who is in a different league, In my opinion Magico was the best player in Centro America History.Please don't get offended Ticos and Catrachos).

[R9Kevinr9]

They won't bro, we had a thread already, everyone agreed that Magico was the best, and arguably the best concacaf player aswell.

[R9Kevinr9]

Perez made his World Cup debut for the U.S. Men¿s National Team on July 4, 1994, when the tournament was held in the United States for the first time. On this day, the U.S. faced Brazil in the second round, a game they only narrowly lost, 0-1. Perez played for the 1984 Olympic team as well as in 1986 and 1990 qualifying World Cup games. An injury sidelined him en route to the 1990 World Cup finals in Italy. In 1987, Perez played a key role in the U.S. Olympic final round qualifier versus El Salvador, managing two goals against his home country in a game the U.S. had to win to get to the finals in Seoul.

After coming to the U.S. at age 11, Perez played professionally for the L.A. Aztecs of the National American Soccer League (NASL) and then played for the San Diego Sockers of the NASL and Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). In 1988, Perez was a Championship MVP as the San Diego Sockers took home the MISL title. He has also played professionally in France, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, and in his native El Salvador in the first division professional league. In 1991, Perez won the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year Award.

Somebody made a thread about our fellow WANAKO.
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=191112

[R9Kevinr9]

Why didn't he play for ES, it wouldn't been magicle!!!!!!! Hugo Perez, Raul Diaz Arce, Mauricio Cinfuegos, El Zarco Rodriquez, Ronald Cerritos, Iraheta......bout to cry.:(

[R9Kevinr9]

Mi tio dijo que era nacido en Santa Ana.

[el_cuscatleco]

Heres a GREAT interview with Hugo Perez from La Prensa Grafica (ES):

"No dudé en nacionalizarme"

Hugo Pérez es el único salvadoreño que ha ido a un mundial sin vestir la camiseta azul y blanco. Estados Unidos 1994 fue el cúlmen de su carrera, después de que un altercado con la dirigencia gringa lo dejara fuera de Italia 1990.

-----------------------------

Llegó a la tierra del Tío Sam a los 11 años y firmó su primer contrato profesional a los 17, con el Azteca de Los Ángeles. Después de ver su madera, la Federación Estadounidense de fútbol le pidió que se nacionalizara para que defendiera la bandera de las barras y las estrellas.

Hugo Pérez decidió adquirir la ciudadanía norteamericana sin pensarlo, para demostrarle a los dirigentes salvadoreños que se habían equivocado al despreciarlo en el momento que quiso formar parte de la azul que viajó a España 1982. De ahí el motivo de volverse gringo.

Esa decisión casi le permite jugar el mundial de Italia 1990, pero un problema con la dirigencia norteamericana lo excluyó del equipo mundialista. Sin embargo, cuatro años después, Bora Milutinovic lo convocó para Estados Unidos 1994, y ahí cumple su sueño de jugar un mundial.

¿Qué tan difícil fue tomar la decisión de nacionalizarse estadounidense?

>> No me fue difícil. De hecho, no lo pensé dos veces, porque me dije que en El Salvador se me había quitado lo que yo más quería, porque hubo un hecho que me hizo ver como que los que estaban al frente de la selección me habían rechazado.

¿Cuál fue ese hecho?

>> Mi primo que jugó en FAS y que había sido seleccionado nacional, (Eduardo) “el Conejo” Valdés, me recomendó con una de las personas encargadas de la selección de 1982 para que me dieran una oportunidad pensando en un futuro. Ellos no quisieron ni verme, no me dieron la oportunidad y eso me dolió bastante.

Entonces, la nacionalización fue una especie de revancha.

>> Quizá sí, porque lo primero que me dije cuando me nacionalicé es: “Quiero demostrar a El Salvador que lo que hicieron fue un error”. Lo que más quería era jugar contra El Salvador.

Cuando al fin se le da la oportunidad de jugar contra El Salvador, ¿qué significó ese primer partido para Hugo Pérez?

>> Fue una alegría, y no era que fuera algo personal. Simplemente que yo tenía que hacer lo que ellos pensaron que no podía hacer, que era jugar, sobresalir, anotar y jugar bien.

En toda su carrera le anotó cuatro goles a El Salvador, pero los que consiguió en el Cuscatlán fueron los más significativos.

>> Ese día fue especial, porque cuando yo tenía como seis años, inauguraron el Cuscatlán y yo dije que iba a jugar ahí ya fuera con la selección o en la liga mayor, pero lastimosamente no se me hizo. Entonces, cuando llegó ese día en el Cuscatlán, cumplía mi sueño, aunque no fuera para mi país, y eso me hizo que jugara con más deseos. Aparte, había gente que no entendía y que me insultaba. Entonces la única forma que tenía de demostrar lo mío era anotando goles y jugando.

¿Dedicó esos goles?

>> Sí, fueron para toda mi familia, para mi abuelo que ese día ahí estaba en el estadio. Para ellos fueron los dos goles. Fue algo raro, pero a la vez bonito.

Hugo, usted participó en todo el proceso rumbo a Italia 1990, pero llegada la hora de la lista definitiva no apareció, ¿qué pasó?

>> Se rumoraron muchas cosas, pero la verdad es que yo jugaba en Francia en esa época. Ahí me fracturé el peroné faltando como dos meses y medio para el mundial. Entonces la federación me habló que me necesitaban para el mundial y que me regresara para que me recuperara. Pero como yo tenía contrato en Francia el equipo quería que yo me quedara para recuperarme ahí.

Pero usted quería jugar el mundial y estar cerca de la selección.

>> Sí, pero también en ese equipo yo era el único que estaba jugando afuera del país, los demás eran de colegio y la federación tenía un método malo a la hora de firmar a los jugadores y de tener patrocinadores. Solo se pensaba en el ingreso para la federación y no en los jugadores, y eso no me pareció correcto.

¿Quiere decir que tomó un papel de líder y comenzó a velar por los jugadores que no eran profesionales?

>> Lo que pasaba es que como yo jugaba afuera y yo sabía lo que pasaba, comencé a hablar con la federación y les dije que no era correcto lo que hacían, que tenían que ayudarlos, especialmente a los jugadores que no tenían contrato. Ellos negaron que estuvieran actuando mal y por eso yo empecé a tener problemas con ellos.

Esos problemas lo llevaron a quedarse afuera del mundial

>> Sí, porque mi problema había sido fuera de la cancha. Yo demostré en todo el proceso que en la cancha estaba bien. Además el contrato que tenía en Francia lo quebré por venirme a recuperar a Estados Unidos, porque ellos habían dicho que me necesitaban. Pero el presidente por el problema de que yo hablaba con los jugadores comenzó a tener cosas personales conmigo. Y cuando yo hablo con el técnico después de mi recuperación, él me dice que ya no me necesitaba. Yo entendí lo que habían hecho, y que habían tratado de perjudicarme.


¿Fue otro rechazo?

>> Sí, aunque no quise hacer nada legal aunque tenía el derecho. Pero solo me dije que a la selección no volvía mientras la gente en la federación estuviera.

Qué lo hizo regresar para el mundial 1994.

>> Pues yo seguía jugando en Europa cuando de repente recibí una llamada de Bora Milutinovic. Él ya me conocía, porque de joven me había visto jugar y me había querido llevar a la UNAM (México). Me dijo que me necesitaba y que quería que yo estuviera. Entonces, como también ya no estaba la misma gente en la federación, acepté y fui al mundial.

Sueño cumplido...

>> El mundial es el sueño de todo jugador que tiene aspiraciones y que es profesional. Es simplemente lo máximo. Lo busqué de pequeño y gracias a Dios se me dio.


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Some other info:

ORIGEN: San Salvador

(El Salvador)

NACIMIENTO: 08/11/1963

ESTATURA: 1.76 metros

PESO: 150 libras

JUEGOS INTERN.: 73

Hugo Pérez fue convocado por Bora Milutinovic a la selección de Estados Unidos para que jugara el mundial que se desarrolló en ese país. Su único juego fue contra Brasil en la fase de octavos de final, en el que perdieron 1-0.

4
goles

le anotó Hugo Pérez a la selección de El Salvador. Dos de ellos fueron en el estadio Cuscatlán, en 1987.

11

años

tenía Hugo Pérez cuando dejó de residir en El Salvador, y comenzó su nueva vida en EUA.

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Here's some more info. Gotta love Wikipedia :)

Hugo Ernesto Perez (born November 8, 1963) is an American former soccer midfielder. 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.

Early life and education
Perez, born in El Salvador, where both his grandfather and father both played professionally for C.D. FAS, the club with which Perez would finish his career. He migrated with his family to the United States when he was 11 and gained his U.S. citizenship in the mid-1980s. He chose to forego college.

Football career
In 1982 he signed with the Los Angeles 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. That summer he joined Ajax during the team's pre-season. Ajax manager Johan Cruyff expressed an interest in signing him, but the Sockers refused to release Perez.

Cruyff then attempted to work a transfer for Perez to Italian club Parma in 1990, but Parma needed Perez to play in the World Cup in order to get him a work permit. When U.S. coach Gansler left Perez off the U.S. roster due to a question of match fitness due to injury, this nixed the move to Italy. Instead, Perez moved to France where he played 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.

1984 Summer Olympics
Perez was a member of the American squad that competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He 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. At the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Perez played in only 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.

Retirement
After retiring from playing, Perez moved to the San Fransisco area where he has served as the principal for the Living Hope Christian School. In August 2002, he joined the University of San Francisco as an assistant coach to its men's soccer team. On December 7, 2007, the California Victory, a USL First Division expansion franchise announced that Perez had joined its staff as an assistant coach.

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Sorry bout the Copy and Paste. But hope the info helps :)

[Antonio81]

Ok so here is the thing.

For some of you guys that dont know who Hugo is.

He is not Hugo Sanchez, Hugo Perez is a Salvatrucho that played for the US Olympic team, un vendepatria! :D

I saw him playing when he was old for Fas he won a national tittle with Fas. He was very impressive, Riquelme type of player, but I never saw him playing for the US team or in his young years.

I remember my dad and my grandpa talking about how he scored againts El Salvador! and he was Salvadorareño!!! we lost that game 1-0 to the US.

So here is the thing, the few times I saw him playing, I though he was really good, i was very young though, but he was def better than Donovan and all that crap they call soccer here.

The homework is to ask your parents and friends how good was hugo perez, was he borned in the states? how old was he when he came here?

Alrite cheros, vemos, Im kind of busy right now but i may go to watch ES vrs Hon in North Carolina.

Peace, saludos.

Hugo Perez was by far the greatest American player of his generation(even though he was born in Salvador). In 1990, the worst US coach ever(in a long line of shitty coaches) Bob Gansler decided not to bring him to Italy for the World Cup. He wanted big, strong fit players instead of skillful intelligent ones. Then he tried to play offensive, skillful soccer with those players, most of them weren't even professional and still in college, and lost their first game 5-1. All the European newspapers ripped him for leaving out Perez.

By the time the World Cup in 1994 came around and Serbian Coach Bora decided to play him, he was too old for the heat, which was sometimes 120 degrees.

[FenoFutbol]

Hugo Perez was by far the greatest American player of his generation(even though he was born in Salvador). In 1990, the worst US coach ever(in a long line of shitty coaches) Bob Gansler decided not to bring him to Italy for the World Cup. He wanted big, strong fit players instead of skillful intelligent ones. Then he tried to play offensive, skillful soccer with those players, most of them weren't even professional and still in college, and lost their first game 5-1. All the European newspapers ripped him for leaving out Perez.

By the time the World Cup in 1994 came around and Serbian Coach Bora decided to play him, he was too old for the heat, which was sometimes 120 degrees.

interesting and at the same time ********ed up. got to love this soccer stories with a great moral...

think about the time when a real soccer movies comes out of hollywood?

have you watch the mirracle match? is about the US beating England in their first world cup. The movie is pretty good.

I would love to see Hugo Perez movie... that movie about Nunez, the Mexican american kid is crap, although is a soccer movie so I watched it. But the Mexican kid should have been Salvadoran, and his name should have been Hugo Perez, and the league had to be the french and not EPL...

Think about Hollywood coming up with a movie of Magico Gonzalez, or Wynalda, a real american struggling to make it into a tough Bundesliga??? how about Mauricio Cienfuegos "the little midget" that played in Mexico, and domimated MLS??

Or maybe the costarican dude that went to south american and europe, straigh from the barrios of florida? :cool:

By the time hollywood comes out with real soccer movies... thats when soccer is going to go crazy in this country. How long you think it would take??

[R9Kevinr9]

I'd say about 10 years, they should make a movie about Maradona, that would be tight as ********k, the drugs the goals, the women, yeeeeeeeee.

[LN - Dougg]

I remember being a kid and just f'n hating the guy for being a truco but playing agaisnt us,and even worst scoring against us... Of course I didn't know his story then like I do now. Living here in the states for as long as I have now, I can see his story from a different point of view.

I got nothing but respect for the guy.

Thanks for all the good info posted here...

A good question now would be, where is he now?

[TheGift]

Best players ever for us IMO...

1.Jorge "Magico" Gonzalez
2.Mauricio Cienfuegos
3.Hugo Perez
4.Norbeto Huezo
5.Jaime "La Chelona" Rodriguez

[FenoFutbol]

Best players ever for us IMO...

1.Jorge "Magico" Gonzalez
2.Mauricio Cienfuegos
3.Hugo Perez
4.Norbeto Huezo
5.Jaime "La Chelona" Rodriguez

nah dude, there is a lot of salvadorans players that were better than Cienfuegos, not to understimate the size of the dude but she we had some.\

1. Maybe Jorge bc Cariota Barraza was good as ******** too, some old salvadorans think that Magico had nothing on Barraza :confused: think about how good barraza was.

My uncle that playe for barraza said that the newspaper asked Barraza when he was alive if the tough jorge was better than him. Barraza said "not f.. long hair joke is better than me" hahaha, Barraza was prob the most arrogant player El Salvador ever had.

I stick with Jorge till I see videos of Barraza, the good part is Barraza is from my lovely hometown, SAN MIGUEL and he played for my club AGUILA :cool:

[LN - Dougg]

nah dude, there is a lot of salvadorans players that were better than Cienfuegos, not to understimate the size of the dude but she we had some.\

1. Maybe Jorge bc Cariota Barraza was good as ******** too, some old salvadorans think that Magico had nothing on Barraza :confused: think about how good barraza was.

My uncle that playe for barraza said that the newspaper asked Barraza when he was alive if the tough jorge was better than him. Barraza said "not f.. long hair joke is better than me" hahaha, Barraza was prob the most arrogant player El Salvador ever had.

I stick with Jorge till I see videos of Barraza, the good part is Barraza is from my lovely hometown, SAN MIGUEL and he played for my club AGUILA

:confused: Ok, maybe I should be ashamed of saying it but I'm not, I had never heard of Barraza.... Maybe a thread should be started for him as well?

BTW, Raul Diaz Arce gets no love? :D

[Antonio81]

think about the time when a real soccer movies comes out of hollywood?

have you watch the mirracle match? is about the US beating England in their first world cup. The movie is pretty good.

I would love to see Hugo Perez movie... that movie about Nunez, the Mexican american kid is crap, although is a soccer movie so I watched it. But the Mexican kid should have been Salvadoran, and his name should have been Hugo Perez, and the league had to be the french and not EPL...

Think about Hollywood coming up with a movie of Magico Gonzalez, or Wynalda, a real american struggling to make it into a tough Bundesliga??? how about Mauricio Cienfuegos "the little midget" that played in Mexico, and domimated MLS??

Or maybe the costarican dude that went to south american and europe, straigh from the barrios of florida? :cool:

By the time hollywood comes out with real soccer movies... thats when soccer is going to go crazy in this country. How long you think it would take??

Yeah I agree, also with the guy who said a Maradona movie would be hot. A story like that, of someone fighting to get out of the barrio. The best movies I think would be of Zidane, Rooney or Roy Keane, ghetto players. Maybe one about El Magico too:confused: He had it pretty tough growing up.

You have to understand that in America most Latinos are Mexican so they make more stuff catering to them, just like Univision pulling off Argentine Andres Cantor and putting on Mexican ones for the World Cup announcing.

[R9Kevinr9]

Dude a Maradona film would be sick, Maradona came up from the slums aswell. But i wouldl like to Ronald9 the most he is my inspiration. My idol since i been like 5.

[Antonio81]

:eek: Shit. For got about him:D I read a book on his life, he was just as poor as Maradona, and grew up around drug gangs in the Favelas. He could barely get any girls because of his two buck teeth until he got famous, which is why he went wild with them in Italy and Spain.

The Argentines used that against him in the '98 World Cup when they made up a story about her screwing a Brazilian TV reporter she was friends with, and he kept running out of the Brazilian training camp to check up on her. A movie would be interesting.

[MetroChile]

Por lo que me contaron a mi, dicen que este Hugo Perez tenia una zurda endiablada (y que por consiguiente, rara vez usaba la derecha).

Metro

[R9Kevinr9]

Esos exactamente, lo que dice wikipedia. Esos lo que no me gusta de el...... yo pienso que todos los pro's tienen que ser casi iguales con las dos patas......se mira un poquito 'amateur' cuando solo juegan con una.