David Perez has learned a lot in his first few weeks as a member of the Chattanooga Football Club.
And he still has a lot more he wants to learn.
The former Northwest Whitfield High School star has worked his way into the rotation for Chattanooga FC in the soccer team’s first five matches of 2016. CFC (4-1) will attempt to advance in the U.S. Open Cup tonight, hosting the Harrisburg City Islanders of the United Soccer League at 7:30 at Finley Stadium.
Perez will be a senior at Lee University. Last fall he was the Gulf South conference player of the year and became the program’s first-ever NCAA Division II All-American after a 17-goal, five-assist junior season.
“He’s a great attacking player,” CFC coach Bill Elliott said Tuesday. “He’s explosive, he’s technical, he has a creative mind with his movement and his play, but he needs to improve defensively. He has some areas there that he needs to work on. I think he’s grown up always being such an attacking player in college and high school that defensive responsibilities have been a minimum, but everyone has to defend at this level.
“That’s the area we’re looking for growth out of him, but in terms of attacking, he can change a game.”
Elliott added that he wasn’t saying Perez is a bad defender, just that there are some “things he needs to work on there.” He also said he thinks Perez eventually will be a dominant player for CFC, but he’s “not quite there yet.”
As one of the club’s rookies, Perez has been soaking up knowledge like a sponge.
“The guys have been awesome,” he said. “It’s been a great experience; they took me in well.”
Learning the difference in pace between playing for Lee and playing for an amateur soccer club has been an adjustment for him, but it’s one he believes he can take back to Cleveland for his final college season.
“We have a team-first mentality here,” he said. “You put in the work, everything else will take care on its own. I’m learning about taking quicker touches. It’s a lot more fast-paced, a lot more physical, but we work on these things in practice every day, and I can take that back to school, and by August I’ll be ready.”
His assist to Will Roberts gave CFC the early advantage in what turned into a 6-2 victory over Quinto Elemento in the semifinals of the Hank Steinbrecher Cup last weekend.
“It was an amazing feeling,” Perez said. “All the fans are cheering and everything’s in slo-mo, but it’s a great feeling in front of the fans. They truly care; they care about each and every single one of us – even new guys like me.
“They make you feel at home, like I’ve been here for a long time.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.