Lee Nguyen

Lee Nguyen
Personal information
Date of birth (1986-10-07) October 7, 1986
Place of birth Richardson, Texas, United States
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Los Angeles FC
Number 24
Youth career
2000–2004 Dallas Texans
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005 Indiana Hoosiers 22 (5)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2008 PSV 3 (0)
2008–2009 Randers 22 (0)
2009–2010 Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 24 (16)
2010–2011 Becamex Bình Dương 15 (7)
2012–2018 New England Revolution 191 (51)
2018– Los Angeles FC 18 (3)
National team‡
2005 United States U20 2 (0)
2007– United States 9 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 06:51, September 2, 2018 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14:57, October 26, 2016 (UTC)

Lee Nguyễn (Vietnamese: Nguyễn Thế Anh), born October 7, 1986) is an American soccer midfielder for Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer. Nguyen holds dual citizenship in the United States and Vietnam.[1]

Youth and college

Nguyen graduated from Plano East Senior High School in his native Texas[2] and was named National Gatorade Boys Soccer High School Player of the Year in 2005.[3] He played one season for Indiana University in 2005, producing five goals and 12 assists in 22 games and was selected as 2005 National Freshman of the Year by Soccer America and Soccer Times. Nguyen was also a first team All-Big Ten selection and Big Ten Freshman of the Year.[4]

Club career

PSV Eindhoven

Nguyen began his professional career by signing a three-and-half-year deal with Dutch Eredivisie team PSV Eindhoven in February 2006, but after making just two appearances with the club's senior team, he moved on to get more first-team time somewhere else.[5]

Randers FC

On January 31, 2008, Nguyen signed with the Danish Superliga club Randers FC until the summer of 2009.[6] He made 23 appearances with the club in parts of two seasons.[5]

Hoàng Anh Gia Lai

With Nguyen still hoping to remain in Europe but ready for a change of scenery, V.League 1 club Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, based in the centrally located city of Pleiku, gave his Vietnamese father a contract offer in January 2009 to pass along to his son. The offer was much more lucrative than what he could have hoped for anywhere else, but by accepting it he took himself completely off the United States Men's National Team radar at the age of 23 after just three appearances.[7]

Nguyen became the Vietnamese league's first American player when he signed with Hoàng Anh Gia Lai on January 17, 2009. He scored 13 goals and 16 assists in 24 appearances in all competitions for the club in 2009.[5] Through club partnership connections, Nguyen spent the middle of 2009 training with English club Arsenal in the hopes of earning another contract in Europe.[8]

Becamex Binh Duong

In January 2010, Nguyen signed with another V.League 1 club, Becamex Binh Duong F.C. in Thủ Dầu Một. Injuries limited his impact as he scored just one goal in five appearances for the club in one and a half years.[5] His desire to play for the U.S. was rekindled, however, by the August 2011 hiring of head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, whose style Nguyen hoped would better fit his midfield skills. Despite a large new contract offer in Vietnam, he decided to return to the U.S.[7]

New England Revolution

Nguyen signed a multi-year deal with Major League Soccer on December 7, 2011 and was originally allocated to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a weighted lottery. He made three preseason appearances with Vancouver before being waived on March 1, 2012.[9] On March 2, 2012, he was selected by the New England Revolution with the second overall pick in the MLS Waiver Draft.[10]

Nguyen made 30 regular-season appearances for the Revolution in 2012, including 27 starts. He finished second on the team with five goals and was voted the Midnight Riders Man of Year by the fans.[5] His second career MLS goal—and second goal of the game against Vancouver on May 12—was one of four finalists for the MLS Goal of the Year Award.[11]

In 2013, Nguyen appeared in 33 league matches, scoring four goals and recording seven assists.[5]

In 2014, Nguyen led the Revolution with 18 goals and 5 assists, which is the most ever by a midfielder in an MLS season, and was again voted the Midnight Riders Man of the Year.[12] For his contributions to the team—including 9 game-winning goals in the regular season—Nguyen was named as a finalist for the 2014 version of the Major League Soccer MVP Award along with Seattle Sounders forward Obafemi Martins and Los Angeles Galaxy forward Robbie Keane.[13] Nguyen's goal against the Houston Dynamo also made it to the final round of voting for the 2014 version of the MLS Goal of the Year Award.[14]

During the 2016 season, Nguyen became the Revolution's team captain.[15]

Los Angeles FC

On May 1, 2018, New England traded Nguyen to Los Angeles FC in exchange for $350,000 in General Allocation Money and $350,000 in Targeted Allocation Money.[16] On July 26, 2018, Nguyen scored on a free kick leading Los Angeles FC to a 2–0 lead over LA Galaxy. The match ultimately ended 2-2 after a second-half comeback by their crosstown rival.[17]

International career

After playing for several United States junior level squads, namely the Under-18s, Under-20s, and Under-23s, including being the only high school player named to the Under-20 roster for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, Nguyen made his debut for the senior United States Men's National Team in a friendly against China on June 2, 2007. He made two other appearances with the team in 2007 as part of the Copa América roster.[5]

On November 10, 2014, Jürgen Klinsmann called up Nguyen for the first time in seven years for friendlies against Colombia and Ireland,[18][19][20] and again on January 9, 2015, for the training camp ahead of friendlies versus Chile and Panama. Nguyen made his reappearance with the USMNT as a substitute in a friendly match against Costa Rica on October 13, 2015.[21]

Honors

Club

PSV Eindhoven
New England Revolution

Individual

Career statistics

As of December 17, 2016
Club Season League Cup League Cup Other[A] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
United States League U.S. Open Cup PDL Playoffs North America Total
Ajax Orlando Prospects 2005 USL PDL 0000——00
Netherlands League KNVB Cup Cruijff Shield Europe Total
PSV Eindhoven 2005–06 Eredivisie 1000000010
2006–07 0000100010
2007–08 0000000000
Denmark League DBU Pokalen LigaCup Europe Total
Randers 2007–08 Superliga 13000——130
2008–09 9033——123
Vietnam League National Cup Super Cup Asia Total
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 2009 V.League 1 ?9?4——2413
2010 1000——10
Becamex Bình Dương 2010 ?000——150
2011 5200——52
United States League U.S. Open Cup MLS Cup North America Total
New England Revolution 2012 MLS 3051100—316
2013 3341020—364
2014 32183052—4020
2015 3270010—337
2016 3365000—386
Total Denmark 220330000253
Netherlands 1000100020
United States 16040101820017843
Vietnam 24110000002411
Career statistics20751134920022957

Personal life

Lee Nguyen's father, Pham Nguyen, fled to the United States few years before the fall of Saigon, at 1973, and they were later resettled in Richardson, Texas, where Lee was born. His father was an avid soccer fan but he was forced to quit playing due to ongoing Vietnam War.[22]

In 2012, Nguyen was named one of The Boston Globe's 25 Most Stylish Bostonians.[23]

References

  1. ↑ Bill Littlefield (June 2, 2012). "The Long, Strange Trip of Lee Nguyen". Only A Game. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Lee Nguyen Bio - Indiana University Official Athletic Site". iuhoosiers.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Nguyen Named Gatorade POY (03-08-05) - Indiana University Official Athletic Site". iuhoosiers.com. March 8, 2005. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Lee Nguyen Bio - Indiana University Official Athletic Site". iuhoosiers.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Midnight Riders Man of the Year".
  6. ↑ HelminLagt, Jesper (January 31, 2008). "Tre forstærkninger til Randers FC". bold.dk (in Danish). Sport Publish OÜ.
  7. 1 2 "For New England Revolution playmaker Lee Nguyen, a rugged road to MLS stardom". mlssoccer.com. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  8. ↑ "US-Vietnamese Star Lee Nguyen To Train With Arsenal". Goal.com. September 17, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  9. ↑ Fidencio Enriquez (December 6, 2011). "Ex-US int'l Nguyen signs multi-year deal with MLS". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Revs add midfielder Lee Nguyen through Waiver Draft". revolutionsoccer.net. March 2, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Revolution's Nguyen finalist for MLS goal of the year". Boston Globe. November 24, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Man of the Year Award". The Midnight Riders. Retrieved 2018-10-12.
  13. ↑ "Robbie Keane, Obafemi Martins, Lee Nguyen vie for MVP as MLS announces 2014 awards finalists". mlssoccer.com. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  14. ↑ "2014 AT&T Goal of the Year Nominees: Final Four". mlssoccer.com. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  15. ↑ Macomber, Seth (May 31, 2016). "Nguyen Motivated After Copa Snub". Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  16. ↑ "New England Revolution agree to trade with Los Angeles FC". revolutionsoccer.net. May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  17. ↑ "LA Galaxy roar back for 2-2 draw with LAFC in rivalry series". USA Today. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Lee Nguyen relishes second crack with U.S. national team". Goal.com. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Revolution's Lee Nguyen, Jermaine Jones called up to US team - The Boston Globe". Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  20. ↑ "New England Revolution excited for 'well deserved' USMNT call-ups for Lee Nguyen, Jermaine Jones". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  21. ↑ "MNT Loses to Costa Rica in Red Bull Arena Friendly". ussoccer.com. October 13, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  22. ↑ "NGUYENing | The Lee Nguyen Story". New England Revolution. September 11, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  23. ↑ "The 25 Most Stylish Bostonians of 2012". Boston Globe. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
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