Lee Nguyen - Early Career

Early Career

Nguyen grew up in Dallas and played for Dallas Texans, one of the nation's elite youth teams. Nguyen was coached by club founder Hassan Nazari and later David Hudgell in his senior year won several tournaments with the team, including the Dallas Cup, Disney Showcase, and Region III Championships (twice). Nguyen also won a National Championship in the U-18 age bracket and finished in third place in the Nation in his U-16 year.

A winger with creative dribbling skills, he has represented the United States national team as a member of its youth squads. He was the only high school player to be named in the U.S. squad for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship and was named the 2004–05 Gatorade National Boy Soccer Player of the Year. Nguyen turned down an offer from Major League Soccer, choosing instead to accept a scholarship to Indiana University Hoosiers.

Despite doubts about his size and athleticism, Nguyen showed little trouble adjusting to the more physical nature of the college game. Soccer Times and Soccer America both named him their national Freshman of the Year on the strength of his five-goal, twelve-assist campaign in autumn of 2005. He played one year at Indiana before pursuing a professional contract overseas after his freshman year.