The untold story of the extremely 'unusual' Vietnamese-American star who just joined the Ho Chi Minh City women's team.

Ho Chi Minh City Women's Club has finalized a contract with Chelsea Le, a Vietnamese-American midfielder who previously played in the US and had a trial with the Vietnam U.19 team.

A promising new recruit for the Ho Chi Minh City women's team.

The Ho Chi Minh City women's club is actively strengthening its squad for the match against Abu Dhabi Country (UAE) in the 2024-2025 AFC Champions League. After signing center-back Aubrey Goodwill and forward Sabrina Marie Cabrera, coach Doan Thi Kim Chi's team has added Chelsea Le, a player of Vietnamese and American descent.

Chelsea Lê was born in 2001 and grew up at the Spokane Shadow Soccer Training Center (USA). She had a trial with the Vietnam U.19 team in 2019, playing alongside current national team players such as Trần Thị Duyên, Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhã, and Nguyễn Thị Hoa.

Chelsea Lê in the Vietnam U.19 team jersey in 2019

PHOTO: HONG NAM

Chelsea Le's presence in the U.19 team was relatively coincidental. During a family trip back to Vietnam in 2019, Chelsea Le and her younger sister, Kyah Le, were introduced to the Vietnam U.19 team for a trial training session. Knowing that Chelsea Le and Kyah Le were training semi-professionally in the US, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and coach Akira Ijiri agreed to let them train for a few sessions.

During training, Chelsea Le showed her potential with good physical challenges. She also scored a goal with an impressive long-range shot that left the goalkeeper rooted to the spot.

At the same time, coach Mai Duc Chung and the Vietnamese women's national team were participating in the 2019 AFF Cup in Thailand (a tournament where Vietnam won the championship). After returning to Vietnam, coach Mai Duc Chung received advice from his assistants regarding the potential of sisters Chelsea Le and Kyah Le.

Speaking to a reporter from Thanh Nien Newspaper, the coach of the Vietnamese women's national team affirmed that both Chelsea Le and Kyah Le are very promising, with good physique, neat ball handling skills, and a modern approach to football, even though they have never actually played professional football.

"I want to send a message to the families of Chelsea Le and Kyah Le, that both of them have great potential. I hope the families will create conditions for Chelsea Le and Kyah Le to come to Vietnam to train and compete regularly," Coach Mai Duc Chung shared with a reporter from Thanh Nien Newspaper.

Chelsea Le (right) has good speed and physique.

PHOTO: HONG NAM

A reporter from Thanh Nien newspaper then relayed the message to Mr. Lam Le, the father of Chelsea Le and Kyah Le. However, due to a lack of common ground regarding travel between the US and Vietnam, as well as disagreements on terms and conditions, Chelsea Le and Kyah Le missed their chance to join the Vietnamese women's national team.

Come back to score!

After six years, Chelsea Lê has returned to Vietnam for a new challenge: competing in the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League with the Ho Chi Minh City women's team.

The midfielder, born in 2001, previously played for Gonzaga University before returning to Vietnam to try her luck. For the past six years, Chelsea Le has balanced her studies with her passion for football. She is now at the peak of her career and once again wants to conquer a challenge in her second homeland.

In the most recent training match, Chelsea Le assisted Huynh Nhu's goal. The Vietnamese-born female player is considered lively, outgoing, and quick to integrate with her teammates.

Although Chelsea Le only signed a short-term contract with the Ho Chi Minh City women's team, her performance at the AFC Champions League could become a bridge for the Vietnamese-born player to impress the coaching staff of the Vietnamese women's national team.

"I highly appreciate some Vietnamese players living abroad who have returned to Vietnam to try their luck. They train in developed football leagues. They have excellent physical attributes and don't need to fear any opponent in international competitions. When these players are called up, they can play immediately without needing further training. They just need to get used to the playing style and coordinate with their teammates."

"I always encourage overseas Vietnamese players to return home. They have Vietnamese blood in their veins, and the door to the national team is always open. After overseas Vietnamese players obtain Vietnamese citizenship, we will gather them to assess their skills, physical fitness, and playing style, and then call them up to the national team," Coach Mai Duc Chung shared with Thanh Nien Newspaper.

In the AFC Champions League quarter-final match held on the evening of March 22nd at Thong Nhat Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City Women's Club will face Abu Dhabi Country. The UAE representative drew with Hyundai Steel (South Korea) and defeated Wuhan Jiangda (China) to surprisingly secure second place.

What sets Abu Dhabi Country apart is the quality of their foreign players, such as goalkeeper Jeane (Brazil), defender Valeriia Olkhovska (Ukraine), midfielder Aicha Hamideche (Algeria), and striker Nanami Sone.

With ambitions to go far in the AFC Champions League, Abu Dhabi Country plans to recruit more foreign players from Japan and European countries.