FRISCO, Texas – FC Dallas’ Blas Perez (Panama) and Raul Fernandez (Peru) have joined their respective national teams for upcoming World Cup Qualifying matches, FC Dallas announced today. Both players will not be available for Dallas’ Sept. 7 match versus Vancouver Whitecaps FC at FC Dallas Stadium.
FC Dallas’ leading scorer this season with 10 goals in 19 appearances, Perez and Panama are scheduled to host Jamaica on Friday, Sept. 6 at Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City, Panama. The Panamanian National Team’s second match, set for Tuesday, Sept. 10, will be in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, against the Honduran National Team.
Panama currently sits in fifth place of the Fourth Round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying with a record of 1-3-2, 6 points. The top three teams advance directly to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil while the fourth place finisher will play a home-and-away series against New Zealand, winner of the Oceania Football Confederation. Perez will return in time for FC Dallas’ match on Sept. 14 versus the Rapids in Colorado. In Perez’s last match at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, he scored both goals in a 2-2 draw with the Rapids.
FC Dallas’ All-Star goalkeeper, Fernandez will backstop Peru against Uruguay on Friday, Sept. 6 at Estadio Monumental de Lima in Lima, Peru. The Peruvian National Team’s second match is against Venezuela at Estadio Polideportivo Cachamay in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
Peru is currently in seventh place of the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying tournament with a record of 4-2-6, 14 points. The top four finishers in the tournament advance to the 2014 FIFA World Cup while the fifth place country will play a home-and-away series against the fifth-place country from the Asian Football Confederation this November. Fernandez is also scheduled to return in time for Dallas’ match against the Rapids. He has a 1-0-1 record versus the Rapids this season with four saves and one shutout.
