Nguyen Looking for a January Call up from the USMNT

Lee Nguyen may have only played 12 minutes in his re-debut for the US Men’s National Team, but Jurgen Klinsmann apparently liked what he saw from the crafty midfielder.

Nguyen, who first appeared for the National Team in 2007, waited 2,688 days between his third and fourth cap. Revolution staff writer and online host Jeff Lemieux reported via Twitter that Nguyen’s fifth cap could come as soon as January.

Another seven-year wait? Unlikely. Lee Nguyen said today that Klinsmann told him he's looking forward to seeing him in Jan. #NERevs #USMNT

— Jeff Lemieux (@jeff_lemieux) November 19, 2014

It shouldn’t be a shock that Klinsmann is eager to get Nguyen back into camp. The MLS MVP candidate was one of the bright spots in the USMNT’s loss to Colombia. The National Team performed worse against Ireland a few days later, a game that Nguyen missed.

Nguyen is exactly the type of creative player that should be a part of the National Team pool. The sensational back heel that helped setup a Bobby Wood opportunity against Colombia is just a glimpse of what Nguyen has to offer. He is, after all, a brilliant finisher.

An underrated part of Nguyen’s game comes on the defensive side of the ball. Now sitting alone as the Revolution player to suffer the most fouls in a single season, Nguyen also knows how to be aggressive. Klinsmann’s call to get "nastier" would certainly be understood by Nguyen.

Now 28 years old, Nguyen could be an impact player at the 2018 World Cup. Even before then, however, Nguyen could contribute in high profile tournaments like the Gold Cup in 2015 and the Copa America in 2016.

But first, the MLS playoffs.