By Jason Davis, US Soccer Players
Lee Nguyen’s path to MLS stardom ranged far, had more than its share of bumps, and rarely looked certain to deliver him to where he is now. Where Lee Nguyen is now is playing provider, creator, and inspiration for the New England Revolution as part of a multi-headed attack that is atop the MLS Eastern Conference table after a pair of dominate 5-goal performances. Eleven games into 2014, Nguyen is making a case that he’s the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Lee Nguyen. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Revolution might consider themselves lucky to have Nguyen’s services. After the Texas-born midfielder decided to trade superstardom in his parents’ native Vietnam for Major League Soccer in 2012, it was the Vancouver Whitecaps who secured his rights via the allocation order process. When the Whitecaps decided they didn’t have room for Nguyen and waived him, New England scooped him up.
Nguyen started his career at PSV in the Netherlands, joining the club from the University of Indiana after his superb freshman season. From there it was on to Denmark before heading to Vietnam. Playing in the V.League limited his profile in the United States.
Nguyen’s path gives the impression he’s a late bloomer, having only come into his abilities in his mid- to late-20s in the manner so many American players tend to do. While most examples of late bloomers come out of the college soccer system, Nguyen’s time off the radar in Vietnam served the same purpose, no matter how well he did there. Even if the Texan was improving year-to-year, first for Hoàng Anh Gia Lai and then Becamex Bình Dương, the lack of awareness of his exploits there made him an unknown quantity.
On Saturday against the Philadelphia Union, Nguyen had a goal and an assist. The goal was Nguyen’s fifth of the season, while the assist was his first. If there’s some surprise over Nguyen’s low assist total, it’s understandable. The 27-year old’s influence in the Revolution attack is so prominent, it seems odd he did not have an assist before Week 11 of the MLS campaign. A creative midfielder like Nguyen is supposed to be more provider than finisher.
What the number actually reveals in the context of the Revolution season is that Nguyen’s excellent play is about much more than a single pass that happens to result in a goal. Counting stats doesn’t measure the importance of Nguyen to New England.
Read the full article by Jason Davis from US Soccer Players.
