Last Saturday, Andrés Perea's goal in the 3-2 win over the New York Red Bulls was the most important goal he's scored for New York City FC.
The 24-year-old had just put up NYCFC 2-1, giving his side the lead just three minutes after they conceded an equalizing goal and looked to have lost all momentum.
The goal was nothing short of remarkable: A cross into the box from Raul Gustavo found Perea, who sent a glancing header that seemed to move in slow motion to catch Carlos Coronel off his line and that miraculously found the top corner.
Andrés Perea's goal against the Red Bulls | Courtesy New York City FC
"I'm really happy with the goal," Perea said after the game. "Yesterday, actually, in training, we had a pretty similar situation with the header. So, today I wasn't really surprised and happy with the goal."
It was Perea's second-ever goal against the Red Bulls, making him the eighth NYCFC player to score multiple goals against the team from Harrison.
He came close to scoring a third. After the Red Bulls fought back to equalize a second time, Perea's head once again made the difference in the 65th minute.
Off a free kick, Perea sent a bullet header that Coronel swatted onto the post, but Thiago Martins jumped on the rebound to bury the game-winning goal.
Andrés Perea gets the unofficial assist on Thiago Martins's goal | Courtesy New York City FC
Perea got the unofficial assist, capping off what was a fantastic night for the 6-foot midfielder. Along with the first-half goal, he won a team-high six aerial duels, made six clearances, and had two interceptions.
"He brings height," said head coach Pascal Jansen after the game. "His physical capacity is high level: He runs 11, 12 Ks per game, gives us the fluidity that we need in midfield, also with Aiden (O'Neill) — it's a good pair. Aiden is one of the first options in the build-up sequences. (Perea) is starting to see better and better when he has to join in as a second one, or stay away. And he can cover ground. He's also capable of getting himself into the box."
The rise of Perea
But Perea's dominant performance comes as no surprise to NYCFC fans. The club brought him in on loan from the Philadelphia Union in July 2023, and he made an immediate impact, starting in eight of the final nine games of the season.
Perea was signed permanently in January 2024, but he made only 12 starts that season, as he was stuck behind the midfield duo of James Sands and Keaton Parks.
With Sands loaned to St. Pauli ahead of the 2025 season, Perea was expected to start alongside Parks. But a hip injury kept Perea sidelined for the beginning of the season, and he didn't get his first start of the year until the 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati on May 4 in Matchday 11.
Also around that time, Park ended up reaggravating the injury he had dealt with in the preseason, and underwent surgery to address blood flow issues in his right leg. Parks made his last appearance of the season on May 31.
Since then, the midfield has belonged to Perea, who hasn't looked back. He was in the Starting XI for all but one Major League Soccer game since the Cincinnati win in May, establishing himself as a staple in Jansen's lineup.
"It's been a crazy season," he said. "At the beginning, it was a little bit tough with my injury. Then I started to play, and right now, I'm just enjoying my role in the team. I have been really flexible, playing in the wing, playing in the inside. I work every day to be available to the team, and right now I'm just happy for the place I have in the team."
Oliver Strand
Perea is not like the others
Perea isn't your typical midfielder. He's not dominant on the ball or an elite passer. But he's excellent in the air and likes to get forward.
He completed just 551 passes this season — that's only 63 more than Parks, who hasn't played since May 31. Out of the players who see minutes under Jansen, only three have fewer passes: Substitutes Julián Fernández, Agustín Ojeda, and striker Alonso Martínez.
As for Perea's attacking, he scored three goals this season, tied for the third-most on New York City, and has an xG of 3.1, the fourth-highest on the team — only Martínez, Hannes Wolf, and Moralez have a higher xG. He has just 890 touches, but 231 of those are in the attacking third and 39 are in the opponent's penalty area.
He's won a total of 37 aerial duels and averages 2.22 aerials won per 90, which puts him in the 98th percentile of midfielders in the league. When looking at NYCFC, only Thiago Martins has won more (43) aerial duels.
It's a big jump from 2024, when Perea only won 24 aerial duels, fewer than the likes of Kevin O'Toole, Birk Risa, and Sands.
Hudson River Blue Staff
The 24-year-old finds a home
When looking at Perea, it's easy to forget he's only 24 years old. Players around him, such as Parks, aged 28, and O'Neill, aged 27, are seasoned midfielders with years of First Team experience. Perea, on the other hand, has yet to match the playing time he saw in his 2021 breakout season at Orlando City, when he started 16 games and totaled 1,734 minutes in 27 appearances.
Andrés Perea | MLS Stats
| Season | Club | Apps | Starts | Mins | Goals | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | New York City FC | 22 | 18 | 1499 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | New York City FC | 28 | 11 | 1194 | 3 | 2 |
| 2023 | New York City FC | 10 | 8 | 772 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | Philadelphia | 8 | 1 | 146 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | Orlando | 24 | 7 | 799 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | Orlando | 27 | 16 | 1734 | 2 | 1 |
| 2020 | Orlando | 23 | 11 | 1190 | 0 | 2 |
Perea left for Philadelphia two years later, a move that didn't work out for him. He went on to make just eight appearances and one start.
When New York City took a chance on Perea, he was a then 22-year-old who was two seasons past his strongest year, and who had been pushed to the margins at Philadelphia.
But NYCFC's gamble paid off — Perea has developed into a polished, versatile midfielder that Jansen trusts to be one of the engines of the team's attack.
John Baney
What's next for Perea?
Perea is having the best season of his young career, but where does he go from here?
His contract ends on December 31 of this year, but the club has a one-year extension option. You have to think that the team will exercise that option, or offer a new contract that will keep him at the club for longer.
But the surprise announcement this week that Sporting Director David Lee is leaving to take over soccer operations at Sporting Kansas City brings a question mark to the status of Perea — and every other player whose contract is coming up this year.
Even if Perea returns, will he be a clear-cut starter in 2026? Parks presumably will return, and O'Neill and Jonathan Shore aren't going anywhere. Then there's Justin Haak, who's playing in the midfield more often with the recent addition of center-back Raul Gustavo.
Haak's contract is also up this season, with no option clause in place. According to Trey Fillmore of the Blue Balls Podcast, NYCFC "approached Justin Haak with an extension offer early in the season, but Haak and his team found the number far below expectation — two sides have not worked on a deal since."
The way Perea is playing now makes him undroppable as we approach the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs. How that will carry over into the following season is something to watch in 2026.
