Creichel Pérez is a 21-year-old attacking midfielder for LD Alajuelense in Costa Rica’s Primera División and the Central American Cup. He has 6 goal involvements domestically and recorded an assist in 7 cup appearances. He made his senior national debut for Costa Rica in January.
Standing at 1.72 m, Pérez is below average height for an attacker with a lean frame. He is naturally explosive with a quick first step to accelerate, allowing him to break in behind on counters. His body movement is smooth, displaying good, not great control, especially when turning or protecting the ball, where he is strong enough to absorb contact in wide areas. His strength is not quite enough to win physical duels at the end of his runs that he is forced into due to a small lack of true high-end pace for the level. Pérez rises impressively for his stature into aerial duels, winning some because of a combination of leaping ability and timing. Additionally, his reaction speed to loose balls and possession regain is quick in another instance where he takes advantage of his explosiveness.
On the attack, Pérez primarily operates as an inside forward in a midfield four. He utilizes a soft first touch on his dominant left foot to receive coming short in the half spaces, keeping that soft touch as he begins to dribble. On occasion, Pérez is sloppy on the half turn after receiving with his back to goal, losing possession under tight pressure. Pressure on his back can lead to some indecision, forcing him to dribble backward for space if he is not dispossessed. He has a notable ability to control the ball in difficult situations, bringing it down rapidly with his chest from diagonals/switches and maintaining tight control of his feet when in the box. As a dribbler, his strength is cutting inside with his left, often from an immediate turn on reception. He prefers to beat markers with pace when engaging 1v1, as he is not crafty enough to beat players with his technical ability. He does have the ability to manipulate defenders for space, though, using fakes and turns to create passing angles while being able to curl dribbles inside after beating opponents to the outside with pace. Pérez is a somewhat creative threat, with expansive vision that he could take better advantage of with more consistent execution. His distribution range is broad, attempting diagonal switches aerially while also spreading play wide mostly accurately when keeping it on the ground. Pérez is reliably accurate in the final third, creating danger with his cutbacks and having a decent out-swinging cross on him. He only mixes in his right foot when laying it off short and can have miscues when doing so, but his overall combination play displays good timing to complete fast sequences, especially penetrating the box. Off ball, his movements are mostly from the half space, using underlaps to break in behind, combining his intelligent timing and initial acceleration. If he does not receive from those, he does display visible frustration. In sum, Pérez is a dribbler who relies on his physical gifts while being able to create chances with mostly cutbacks and combination play.
In terms of finishing, he creates shots for himself by dribbling into space or finding gaps in the box at the back post side. He lacks technique needed to finish from distance, often putting too much power on those attempts. From close, Pérez strikes decisively first time, but the gaps he finds are often lacking space, so he is immediately blocked.
Out of possession, Pérez is a high energy presser. He tracks back with intensity, using his explosiveness on recovery runs. At times, he is overly aggressive, grabbing or pushing from behind. Those fouls are mostly tactical, though, looking to disrupt counters early. He mainly looks to contain or give chase and does not lunge in.
Pérez is an athletically gifted and creative attacker who is already amongst the best players both domestically and in the region. He does not have a crazy high ceiling due to his reliance on athleticism, but he is ready for a step up. Pérez could feasibly become a rotational option in the MLS with more development of his technical abilities and added strength as he matures.
Target Scouting 