Geobel Pérez

Geobel Pérez Oquendo (born 2 June 1999) is a Cuban professional footballer who plays as both a midfielder and forward.

Geobel Pérez
Personal information
Full name Geobel Pérez Oquendo
Date of birth (1999-06-02) 2 June 1999
Place of birth Havana, Cuba
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Midfielder, Forward
Youth career
Ciudad de La Habana
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018 Ciudad de La Habana
Fortuna SC
2019 Storm
2021–2022 Charleston Battery 50 (5)
International career‡
2018 Cuba U20 5 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 October 2022
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 November 2018

Club career

Early career

Born in Havana, Pérez began his career in the youth setup of Ciudad de La Habana.[1] In 2018, after performing well during a youth tournament, Pérez was called up to the Ciudad de La Habana first-team in the Campeonato Nacional de Fútbol de Cuba.[1] Later that year, following the CONCACAF U-20 Championship, Pérez defected from Cuba and joined Fortuna SC, an amateur club in Florida which comprises mainly Cuban footballers.[2] Pérez stated that he was the last member of his team to defect that tournament, saying "Others had left in previous games before the tournament was over, I waited until it finished, I even ate with the team and was there until the last day."[2]

In 2019, Pérez joined National Premier Soccer League club Storm, another club comprising mainly Cuban players from Fortuna SC.[3]

Charleston Battery

On 14 January 2021, Pérez signed with USL Championship club Charleston Battery.[1] Prior to his arrival, the Battery had been known for bringing in Cuban players who had defected from previous tournaments, such as Osvaldo Alonso, Maikel Chang, and Heviel Cordovés, and giving them a start to their professional career in the United States.[4] Pérez made his professional debut for the Battery on 7 May 2021 against New York Red Bulls II, coming on as a 76th minute substitute in a 1–1 draw.[5] Pérez featured in 22 matches in his rookie campaign, scoring two goals and notching two assists.

Pérez scored his first goal of 2022 in stoppage time against Atlanta United 2 on June 29, the highlight reel strike earned him USL Championship Goal of the Week honors for Week 17 and a nomination for the league's June Goal of the Month award.[6] The goal was featured by Fútbol Americas in their top 10 goals of the week, coming in at No. 8, during their episode that aired the following day.[7] Pérez was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for his Week 20 performance against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC when he scored one goal and one assist in the 3–3 draw on July 22.[8] Following the 2022 season, Pérez was released by Charleston.[9]

International career

Pérez was called into the Cuba under-20 side for the 2018 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.[10] He scored in his nation's first match against Belize, scoring the fourth in a 6–1 victory.[11] He would tally five goals in the tournament, the most all-time for the Cuba U-20s in the competition.

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 23 May 2021[12]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Charleston Battery 2021 USL Championship3000—30
Career total 30000030

References
  1. "Cuban U-20 International Goebel Perez Signs with Battery". Our Sports Central. 14 January 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  2. "Amateur club Fortuna SC gives exiled Cuban players a shot at glory, sense of community". ESPN. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. Mederos, Sandy. "Fútbol: Storm FC, el "equipo de cubanos" que juega en la cuarta división de EEUU". CubaLite. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  4. Kay, Brian (19 January 2016). "Cuba's soccer defectors hunt for respect in the United States". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  5. "New York Red Bulls II 1–1 Charleston Battery". Soccerway.
  6. "USL Championship Fans' Choice Goal of the Week – Week 17". 4 July 2022.
  7. "Thu, 6/30 - Futbol Americas | Watch ESPN".
  8. "Geobel Perez Jr. Named to USL Championship Team of the Week". 26 July 2022.
  9. "Battery announce initial returning players for 2023".
  10. "2018 CONCACAF U20 Championship Squads" (PDF). CONCACAF.
  11. "Cuba U20 6–1 Belize U20". Soccerway.
  12. Geobel Pérez at Soccerway
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