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Enough is enough.
The melodrama involving Lee Nguyen and The New England Revolution has gone on long enough and must end. It would be best for both the team and the player to move him immediately to a place where he is appreciated and will get steady playing time.
The usually reliable Taylor Twellman tells us an Eastern Conference team offered Revs $750,000 for Nguyen and turned it down, hoping for a better deal. Under normal circumstances the team’s position would be understandable, including last year when Nguyen was worth more than $750,000.
But, that was then. This is now.
The Revs are in the weird position of claiming Nguyen is worth a lot of money while also contending he is not good enough to be among the 18 players activated for last week’s game.
They are demanding more money for a guy who they have judged unworthy of a single minute of playing time this season. That makes no sense. His $500,000 salary - a lot by Revolution standards - is also being wasted on the bench. That number comes courtesy of the MLS Players Union.
Nguyen certainly contributed to this stalemate by coming into camp late and reportedly asking for a move. There have also been hints his attitude suffered last year.
But, he has been one of the best players in Revolution history. He came in third in MVP voting in 2014 when he scored 18 goals. Last year he led the team in scoring with 11 goals and 15 assists.
He deserves some consideration.
There are those who claim the Revs would get more for him if they waited to trade or sell him this summer. It is more likely that the longer the Revs bury the 31-year-old on the bench the more inactivity is going to erode his value.
Despite his talents, Nguyen obviously doesn’t fit into the Revs’ new, pressing style that puts a premium on work rate and quickness. Plus, the Revs are off to a hot start and there is no reason for them to change the lineup. So it’s time to move him, even if it is to a competitor and even if it for less than he was worth last year.
He deserves to finish out his career in style.