Lee Nguyen
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Randers FC | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 2 July 2007 | |||
Lee Nguyen (born October 7, 1986 in Texas) is a Vietnamese-American soccer midfielder who currently plays for Danish Superliga side Randers FC.
The winger has represented the U.S. National Team as a member of its youth squads. He was the only high school player to be named in the USA squad for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship and was named the 2004-05 Gatorade National Boy Soccer Player of the Year. Professional soccer directly after high school was an option Nguyen eschewed, choosing instead to accept a soccer scholarship to Indiana University.
Nguyen showed little trouble adjusting to the more physical nature of the college game, playing well from the beginning. Soccer Times and Soccer America both named him their national Freshman of the Year on the strength of his five-goal, 12-assist campaign in autumn of 2005. He played one year at Indiana University, before electing to go pro after his freshman year.
After a strong freshman season for Indiana in 2005 and with a number of suitors knocking on his door, he chose to leave school and join PSV, signing a three-and-a-half year contract in January 2006. Former PSV Coach Guus Hiddink, who noticed Nguyen at the World Youth Championships in the Netherlands, groomed the youngster to play wing in his 4-3-3 system. PSV's system is designed to give the wing players unlimited chances to take their defenders one-on-one in the attacking third of the field, making it well suited for Nguyen, who likes beating opposition players in one-on-one situations. By his first Game for PSV he put Lee (and not Nguyen) on the back of his Jersey because previously there was a Lee (Lee Young-Pyo) from S. Korea that played on PSV. The name Lee is more recognizable with the fans, that is why every time Nguyen touched the ball, the fans would scream LEE!
Many believe Nguyen will have a positive impact on U.S. soccer in the years to come. According to Columbus Crew coach Sigi Schmid, who coached Nguyen at the World Youth Championships, one of the hardest puzzles for future U.S. coaches to solve will be getting Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, and Nguyen all on the field at the same time.[1]
Nguyen made his debut for the senior United States men's national soccer team on June 2, 2007 as a substitute in the 80th minute in a 4-1 friendly match victory over China in San Jose, California.
