Jorge Perlaza

ACQUIRED

Signed with the Timbers on March 7, 2011.

2011: Missed his first match of the season on Sept. 16 against New England. Is tied for second on the Timbers with six goals. Has appeared in 29 league matches this season, starting the first 19. Had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over Vancouver, Aug. 20. Named to MLSSoccer.com's Week 21 Team of the Week for combining for a goal and assist in a win over LA and a road draw with San Jose. Logged his first MLS assist, setting up Kenny Cooper with a cross at San Jose Aug. 6. Scored the second goal of a 3-0 win over the LA Galaxy, Aug. 3; was fed a pass by Diego Chara along the top of the goal box and put it in the lower-right corner in the 33rd minute. Has appeared in every league match this season, starting the first 19. Drew a penalty kick in the 23rd minute that set up the only goal of the Timbers' first MLS road win at Chicago July 16. Tallied his fourth goal July 10 vs. Seattle, beating Kasey Keller and giving Portland a brief 2-1 lead. Scored his third goal of the season in a 3-2 loss May 29 vs. D.C. United. Was named to MLSSoccer.com’s Week 5 Team of the Week for a brace vs. Chicago April 14. Won MLSSoccer.com Goal of the Week for Week 5 for a strike that snuck inside the far post after he ran onto a pass and cut back against a Chicago defender. In the 48th minute, cleaned up a gaffe by Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson to complete the brace. Made his MLS debut in the Timbers’ season opener at Colorado on March 19.

2010: Compiled 15 goals in 31 league matches (23 starts) for Colombian first-division club Deportes Tolima, finishing the season as one of the club’s leading scorers ... Scored 10 of his 15 goals during the Campeonato Finalización, ranking among the league’s top goal scorers (tied for sixth) over the second half of the season ... Led Tolima to the overall first-place position in the Liga Postobón with a combined 25-10-11 record, which subsequently qualified the club for the 2011 Copa Libertadores tournament ... Started five games during the 2010 Copa Sudamericana and scored in a 2-0 victory against Club Deportivo Oriente Petrolero on Sept. 21 ... Tolima bowed out of the tournament in the quarterfinal, falling on penalty kicks to Argentina’s Independiente.

CAREER

Was a dependable scorer for Tolima during his final two seasons with the club, scoring 23 goals in 78 league games ... In total, tallied 28 goals in 135 appearances in four seasons with Tolima ... Had a breakout season in 2006, netting eight goals in 26 games for Deportes Quindío, and was signed by Tolima the following season ... Tallied eight goals for Tolima in 2009, contributing to the club’s first-place finish in the Apertura tournament and its second-place overall finish in the season standings ... Has participated in two of South America’s more prestigious tournaments – Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana ... First played in the Copa Sudamericana in 2003 with Deportivo Pasto ... Competed in the 2007 Copa Libertadores with Tolima ... Began career at the age of 16 in native Colombia with Atlético Huila in 2001 and has played for Colombian sides Quindío (2002, 2004-06), Pasto (2002-03) and Tolima (2007-10) ... Career totals include 39 goals in 212 league matches.

PERSONAL

Pronounced “HOR-hay per-LA-za.”