By RYAN TOLMICH
For the eighth time this season, Lee Nguyen scored a game-winning goal for the New England Revolution.
The midfielder had a pair of finishes Saturday to lead the Revs to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Houston Dynamo, earning Nguyen SBI MLS Player of the Week.
With his side down a goal, Nguyen netted the equalizer in the 65th minute with a right-footed curler that left Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric frozen. Nguyen then netted his 17th goal of the season in the 87th minute to clinch the Eastern Conference’s second seed for his side.
Nguyen beat out a crowded field including Ethan Finlay, Eddie Johnson and Nick Rimando for this week’s honors.
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What did you think of Nguyen’s performance? Who stood out to you in MLS Week 33?
Share your thoughts below.
When I look at our attacking midfielder pool, I don’t see anyone that plays with more creativity than Mix and Lee. No one coming off the bench in the last few USMNT games has struck me as better than Mix and Lee. Not even Bradley and Zusi. Now that Lee is in the national spotlight and has proven his form, I can’t see any reason that he won’t be on the Gold Cup roster.
My first point is that Nguyen is bringing his game to his highest level because he is working hard, in a system that he can excel, and has a lot of good players around him. Nguyen was release from Vancouver FFS, it isn’t like he has been tearing it up everywhere his entire career. Credit to his work ethic, teammates, and coaching staff for the past season and an half of his form.
My second point is when does “disappearing to SE Asia” matter? The job of the national team coach is to find the best players that are eligible, period. If Nguyen had this run of form and was playing in Vietnam, it would still be Klinsmann’s responsibility to identify the talent and call him in.
JK doesn’t like guys who disappear into SE Asia during WC cycles
Why do people act as though nothing happens between now and 2018? It’s beginning to freak me out
I think because JK tends to zone in on certain players and stops looking. So while there is a lot of time till 2018, JK may not try out a lot of new players. That is one of his many problems as a coach
wow he’s playing well, has been all season really. fun to watch. he has the elusive skill set the USMNT lacks in any kind of depth
Klinsmann…. that’s Lee NGUYEN…. not Michael Bradley, JJ, Zusi, Donovan, or anybody else in the current pool. I really hope you’re paying attention JK…. if not, better polish up your resume bacause you’re going to need it
Nonsense.
What Klinsmann needs to decide is what Nguyen looks like in 3 years (31yo and declining?) vs. Diskerud in 3 yrs (27 and priming) vs. ? in 3 years. That’s not easy at all.
As a Revs fan, I love Nguyen and feel his is deserving of a USMNT look, but he did spend 2+ years in a soccer backwater sabotaging his USMNT chances…
How old is Dempsey now? Has he been retired by JK?
I will lay money right now that in 3 years, Lee will still be outplaying Mix and where he played those two years has not hurt his game at all. It’s all about how are you playing compared to others trying to achieve the same goal. Put these guys on the field together and lets see. Trial by fire here
I think you may have misunderstood what I was trying to say.
Nguyen’s 2 years in Vietnam during the middle of the last WC cycle kept him squarely off of Klinsmann’s radar and out of the national team picture. It may not have ultimately hurt his game, but it definitely kept him from being a figure in the USMNT at WC 2014, where his skill set would have been useful.
I agree with you that right now his offensive game is probably better than Diskerud’s. Both need defensive work to be the well rounded MF that Klinsmann is looking for. All I was saying is that where any player is going to be in 3 years is difficult to predict, and the Nguyen vs Diskerud dynamic is going to feature one guy likely past his peak and the other on the way up. There is no way to predict how/when those arcs cross.
Put them head to head this January/Spring. I’m all for it. Nguyen deserves the chance, but given that he is a little older than Mix, don’t be surprised if JK gives him fewer chances.
disagree. Klinsmann needs to evaluate who is more valuable for next summer’s Gold Cup & ’16 Copa with eye out there for the 2018 run.
While Jurgen is certainly very ambitious in identifying talent 4 years out, he has proven to do the opposite and utilize peaking players to accomplish short-term needs just as much. think Gordon, Evans, Wondo, Davis, Parkhurst, Gomez..
Right now Nguyen looks potentially a lot better than some of the other options out there but we need to see him at the international level. A lot can change in that jump and it may take time.. he needs caps.
In his (JK) defense; he has not had an opportunity to call him in. Rev’s have scheduled over pretty much every fifa date. If NE makes it to the MLS Cup Semi-Finals is JK able to call him in vs Ireland & Croatia?
If not 2-4 games across January, February and March might be enough to win a Gold Cup spot but he is going to have to be really on point after a long off-season..
Great points. You right about the GC and Copa America. I agree that Nguyen has a place in the USMNT set up over then next few months/years. I also think JK rates Mix highly, and see it tough for Nguyen to break that impression unless he his clearly better head to head. That said, I am in favor of a competition in upcoming camps (schedules allowing). If they are close, I see JK choosing with Mix, that is all.
I have watched both a lot and I feel Lee is head and shoulders better than mix. In a head to head, Lee wins every time.
The real question is will JK give Lee the chance to upset his little apple cart. Im not sure he will.
So happy this guy is finding his groove. I for one am glad he hadn’t been called in yet–he’s got a good thing going right now–change it up once the season’s over, but at this moment he’s just getting better and better–don’t fix what ain’t broke. The January camp is the perfect time to see if this is just a career year, or signs of his game raising another level. Either way, I am happy for the success he’s having–US soccer culture needs more players like him!
Well said.
US soccer culture needs many things, including players of this kind. agree that January is his best shot