Christopher Vose
On the field, Blas Pérez is a man who drives opinion. Former teammate Chris Seitz asked, "is he a pest? Absolutely! Does he get under people's skin? 100%. But it's all part of his game, and all part of making him successful." When he wears your colours, you will love him and defend everything he does. When he's in the opposition, most of what comes to mind isn't fit to print. With a penchant for delivering when it matters most, Pérez has earned the enmity of the entire league. Everyone knows who he is and what he can do. But just as importantly, we all know where he is when the clock is ticking.
Most of the time, he'll be right there, in the centre of the action.
A clock of a different kind has this annoying habit of going on ticking, even after the final whistle blows. And at 34 years of age, FC Dallas decided to part ways with Pérez at the end of last season. But it was not for a lack of fitness or effort. Former manager Oscar Pareja said in September that, "we have from Blas the max coming from the bench. We have his max as a starter... That's what he's made for, to play the game."
Since then, he has kept his options open.
There's been speculation linking him to Colombian side Junior FC, but while not ruling out such a move, he has denied any official contact between himself and the club. There has also been talk that Costa Rican side Alajuelense are interested in his services, which he confirmed when he said that the 2-time Champions League winners are the only Costa Rican side with which he has had contact.
Alajuelense's manager Javier Delgado, praised the striker, known as Super Ratón (or Mighty Mouse), "he is a different kind of player, with a good goal and passing game."
But respectfully, Costa Rica would be a step down for Pérez. He'd get plenty of playing time, but not a lot of competition. And maybe that's why he went out of his way to suggest that Alajuelense are the only Costa Rican side he's been speaking with. Alajuelense are a top side in the Champions League, but domestically, they really only have two challengers, Herediano and Saprissa.
Saprissa, you may recall, have a good working relationship with the Whitecaps, having sold Kendall Waston, Jordan Smith, and Christian Bolaños to the Caps in successive seasons.
If Pérez is up for the challenge, he'd be an compelling option for the Whitecaps. With 42 goals in 108 matches for FC Dallas, he's proven that he can not only play at this level, but excel. And while time may be catching up with him, having only scored 6 goals last year, part of that is down to minutes on the pitch.
When he joined the Hoops in 2012, he scored a goal every 189 minutes, and followed it up with successive seasons of 169, 188, and last year, he was down to one every 238 minutes.
Look at his most recent effort, which came in the 89th minute of the Copa América Centenario qualifying play-off with Cuba.
The man still has it. And he could be up for a mentorship role. According to the man himself, he "always try to instil in the young players to be fighters, to be warriors on the field."
He would be useful pickup for to the Caps. He won't be dribbling like Techera, or running past guys like Manneh. Pérez keeps it simple. He wants to be up front, in the middle, playing one or two touches, and he wants to score. If anything, he's more like Eric Hassli with his ability to hold the ball up, but he's more of a poacher than big man ever was.
In Vancouver, Pérez would find a comfortable environment. There are a number of players from both Central and South America here, and assistant coach Martyn Pert is fluent in Spanish. He also fills a role that none of Vancouver's recognised strikers have been able to do in the Major League.
For now, they are just rumours and suggestions, but on paper, Vancouver and Pérez makes all the sense in the world.
"When I step onto the field, this is not just for me, it's for my family," Blas Pérez.