Pedro Pablo León

Pedro Pablo «Perico» León García (Lima, June 29, 1943 - Lima, May 9, 2020) was a Peruvian soccer player, considered a historic forward for the Alianza Lima club and the Peruvian soccer team, with which he participated in the 70th World Cup in Mexico, reaching the quarterfinals.

He was characterized by being powerful and had a very unusual ability to associate through walls with his teammates in small spaces, in addition to intelligent positioning on the field, knowing how to delay very well to create play and assist.

In the 60s it was very common to see him score magnificent goals and in the second half of the decade he formed one of the best blue and white forwards in history, baptized as the New Black Roller, along with Teófilo Cubillas and Julio Baylón.

In 1971 he was transferred to Barcelona Sporting Club, which was then a megaproject, and there he formed an exceptional attacking duo with the outstanding Ecuadorian player Alberto Spencer. With that team, he won the Ecuadorian league title in his first season, and was the second top scorer in the tournament. Around the age of thirty, he returned to Peru, but then he went into decline and finally retired playing in Venezuela.

Between 1963 and 1970, he was the undisputed 9th starter of the Peruvian team, precisely playing his last big games in the qualifying stage for the 1970 World Cup and was a figure in the elimination of Argentina at the hands of Peru in 1969.

He is the only footballer in the history of the Peruvian team to score a hat trick in qualifying, against Venezuela, for the qualifiers for the 66th World Cup in England, in the Peruvian victory 6-3 as a visitor.

Biography

Pedro Pablo León García, known as Perico, was born in the city of Lima on June 29, 1943. From a young age he trained in the quarries of Alianza Lima until he became the best spearhead in its history, he was the eleven ideal of Alianza Lima, He lived with his family for over twenty years in Union City, NJ. He was married to Dora Peña and worked as a worker in a textile company.

He died in Lima on May 9, 2020 at the age of 76 due to pneumonia and kidney failure. Although the family and the Alianza Lima club tried to hold a brief wake at the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium, due to the covid-19 pandemic, this was not possible. His body was cremated and the ashes given to his family.

Career

He debuted in the first division in 1960, standing out for his skill, mischief and for scoring magnificent goals. He was champion of the Peruvian soccer league with Alianza Lima in 1962, 1963 and 1965. In the second half of the 60s, he formed one of the best forwards in the history of the club (a new version of the so-called Rodillo Negro) together with Julio Baylón, «Pitín» Zegarra, Teófilo Cubillas and Luis «Babalú» Martínez. "Perico" León, mischievous and cheerful, would give Teófilo Cubillas the nickname Nene due to his youth (he was seventeen years old) and the latter's lack of attachment to alcohol and bohemianism.

In 1971 he signed for Barcelona SC of Ecuador, forming a lethal duo with Alberto Spencer, winning the Ecuadorian championship. In 1972 he repeated a good performance and finished as the second scorer of the tournament. The following year, he returned to Alianza Lima; Later he played for Juan Aurich, Unión Tumán and Deportivo Municipal, where he served as player-coach.

In 1978 he emigrated to Venezuelan football to play for Deportivo Galicia, where he showed flashes of his class before retiring in 1980.

National team

He debuted with the Peruvian soccer team in the 1963 Copa América held in Bolivia, scoring two goals in that tournament. From that moment, he was the undisputed center forward of the Peruvian team until the 70th World Cup in Mexico.

He was part of the notable Peruvian team that eliminated Argentina from the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. The first leg was won by Peru precisely with a masterful goal from Perico after a twenty-meter pass from defender Chumpitaz. Perico would cushion the ball with his chest, turn on Roberto Perfumo, his marker, and advance, after this fantastic self-pass, he would cushion it with his thigh and define cross. A gentleman dream goal. Then, in the second leg at the Bombonera in Buenos Aires, Peru tied Argentina 2-2, achieving their qualification.

He played his last game on March 28, 1973 in the game in which Peru beat Paraguay 1-0 in Lima.

Participations in World Cups

World	Headquarters	Outcome	Pj	Goles	Assist.	Prom.
1970 World Cup Soccer/Football	Mexico	Final rooms	4	0	2	0.00
Total in World Cups			4	0	2	0.00

Participations in Copa América

Cup	Selection	Outcome	Parties	Goles	Prom.
Copa America 1963	Bolivia	Fifth post	6	2	0.33

Participations in World Cup qualifiers

Elimination	Selection	Outcome	Parties	Goles	Prom.
South American eliminations 1966	Peru	5.oHe didn't qualify.)	4	4	1.00
South American elimination 1970	Peru	4.oclassified)	4	1	0.25
Total in eliminations			8	5	0.63

Statistics

Clubs

Updated data to end of sports career.

Club	Div.	Season	League		Cups(1)		International(2)		Total(3)
			Part.	Goles	Part.	Goles	Part.	Goles	Part.	Goles
Alliance Lima Peru Peru	1. a	1960	1	0	-	-	-	-	1	0
		1961	10	4	-	-	-	-	10	4
		1962	18	14	-	-	-	-	18	14
		1963	18	16	-	-	4	0	22	16
		1964	17	10	-	-	4	2	21	12
		1965	18	7	-	-	-	-	18	7
		1966	16	10	-	-	3	0	19	10
		1967	25	13	-	-	-	-	25	13
		1968	21	9	-	-	-	-	21	9
		1969	15	7	-	-	-	-	15	7
		1970	29	6	-	-	-	-	29	6
	Total club		198	96	-	-	11	2	209	98
Barcelona EcuadorEcuador	1. a	1971	27	10	-	-	-	-	27	10
		1972	22	14	-	-	7	2	29	16
	Total club		49	24	-	-	7	2	56	26
Alliance Lima Peru Peru	1. a	1973	30	11	-	-	-	-	30	11
	Total club		30	11	-	-	-	-	30	11
Juan Aurich Peru Peru	1. a	1974	9	4	-	-	-	-	9	4
	Total club		9	4	-	-	-	-	9	4
Tuman Union Peru Peru	1. a	1975	14	2	-	-	-	-	14	2
	Total club		14	2	-	-	-	-	14	2
Municipal Sports Peru Peru	1. a	1976	11	4	-	-	-	-	11	4
		1977	7	3	-	-	-	-	7	3
	Total club		18	7	-	-	-	-	18	7
Deportivo Galicia Venezuela Venezuela	1. a	1978	?	?	-	-	-	-	?	?
		1979	?	?	-	-	6	1	?	?
		1980	?	?	-	-	6	1	?	?
	Total club		33	16	-	-	12	2	45	18
Total in your career			351	158	-	-	30	6	381	164

Statistical summary

Palmarés

National Championships

Title	Club	Country	Year
Peruvian Football League	Alliance Lima	Peru Peru	1962
Peruvian Football League	Alliance Lima	Peru Peru	1963
Peruvian Football League	Alliance Lima	Peru Peru	1965
Serie A of Ecuador	Barcelona SC	EcuadorEcuador	1971
Copa Venezuela	Deportivo Galicia	Venezuela Venezuela	1980

Individual distinctions