Vancouver acquires Nguyen in lottery

Vancouver, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC won a weighted lottery Thursday to acquire former U.S. international midfielder/forward Lee Nguyen.

Nguyen, 25, signed with Major League Soccer earlier this month, and joined the Whitecaps through the MLS lottery, which also included FC Dallas, the Houston Dynamo, the Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, and Toronto FC.

"We're very excited to add a talented player like Lee," said Whitecaps manager Martin Rennie. "He's a young player with a bright future."

A dual American/Vietnamese citizen, Nguyen enjoyed spells in Europe with PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands and Randers in Denmark, and also in Vietnam with two clubs. He has played three games for the U.S., all in 2007, including two matches in the Copa America.

Nguyen also represented the U.S. at youth levels, including two matches at the 2005 FIFA Under-20 World Cup. Nguyen was put into the weighted lottery process after initially turning down an MLS contract during his time in college.

"I'm really excited to be joining Whitecaps FC and to help this club push forward. I can't wait to get the season started," said Nguyen.