{"id":29454,"date":"2020-09-10T14:31:51","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T18:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/?p=29454"},"modified":"2020-09-10T14:31:51","modified_gmt":"2020-09-10T18:31:51","slug":"lee-nguyen-revolution-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2020\/09\/10\/lee-nguyen-revolution-return\/","title":{"rendered":"Lee Nguyen thrilled to return to New England Revolution"},"content":{"rendered":"

Foxborough, Mass. \u2014 <\/strong>Lee Nguyen was banging on the proverbial door to escape when, after a six-month contract dispute, the New England Revolution<\/a> relented and traded him to Los Angeles FC<\/a> for $700,000 in May 2018.<\/p>\n

Just over two years later, Nguyen is not only now back in New England, but excited to return.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a lot of love for this club, and I always have, even when I left,\u201d Nguyen told media Thursday, two days after the Revolution re-acquired him from Inter Miami CF.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI never lost love with this club. When I had a chance to come back and [head coach\/sporting director Bruce Arena] said I could be a big help to this team, I was thrilled and excited. I want to try to finish what we started here, and that\u2019s to win a cup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bruce Arena: We needed a playmaker<\/h2>\n

Nguyen came off a season in which he was captain, leading scorer and leading assist man for the Revolution when he requested a trade to former general manager Mike Burns in 2017. For Nguyen, who at the time was the team\u2019s seventh highest-paid player, the desire to move was based solely a salary dispute.<\/p>\n

Even so, Burns waited six months to trade Nguyen, who didn\u2019t feature in a competitive game with New England from the time he first requested a trade to when it was granted.<\/p>\n

Nguyen, 33, went on to appear in 48 games for LAFC<\/a>, scoring three goals and helping the club with the 2019 Supporters Shield. In the offseason he joined Miami, where he played in only five games, none of them starts, and wasn\u2019t in head coach Diego Alonso\u2019s long term plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think people in Miami understood his situation and wanted to be helpful,\u201d Arena said Thursday. \u201cHis agent reached out to us a week or two ago. Fortunately we were able to piece together a deal.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been a good player in this league. I still think he has enough in the tank to help our roster. When I was in LA I saw him play with LAFC and thought he was a very good player and still think he is. He has a history of scoring goals and we need a playmaker.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spanish midfielder Carles Gil, the engine behind New England\u2019s attack last season, is currently out with a foot injury through the regular season.<\/p>\n

Nguyen is who Gil replaced, and now Nguyen is back for what amounts to little in assets. The Revolution gave Miami a fourth round draft pick in 2021 and up to $50,000 in allocation money if Nguyen meets certain performance incentives.<\/p>\n

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Look who's here! \ud83d\udc4b@LeeNguyen24<\/a> \/\/ #NERevs<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/rvZL3dqNb9<\/a><\/p>\n

— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) September 9, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n