Nguyen gives the Revs “something that we’ve been lacking a little bit”

He only played 14 minutes on Saturday, but it certainly seems like Lee Nguyen will make an impact for the New England Revolution.

Replacing Kelyn Rowe in the 76th minute, Nguyen made his first appearance for the Revs in 1,063 days. With his team down a goal, the midfielder was eager to find seams and ready to press.

It’s exactly what the Revs were hoping for from the former MVP candidate.

“When he came in he just facilitates the play, can find the passes,” Andrew Farrell remarked. “He’s somebody that can create chances for us. I think that’s something that we’ve been lacking a little bit.”

Nguyen almost earned an assist in the 79th minute when his passing created an opportunity for Tajon Buchanan. The second-year player failed to find the back of the net, though he did collect his first career goal two minutes later.

Unfortunately for the Revs, the Union found a late game-winner by capitalizing on a failed set piece clearance. With the loss, the Revs dropped to seventh in the Eastern Conference.

Still, Nguyen’s performance is a cause for optimism. He was 11-for-11 in terms of passing, created one chance, and made three ball recoveries. Not bad night for someone who drove from Florida to Massachusetts earlier in the week.

The Revs will now hope for similar performances in the future.

“I thought he played very well,” head coach Bruce Arena said. “You could see his experience and his quality on the field. We only played him 20, 25 minutes. We need to be smart about his minutes right now, but he looks like he’s going to be a good addition to our team.”