Family and friends of Milpitas native Khiem Nguyen, 24, who gathered last month in mourning for the Air National Guard airman and standout soccer player who was swept out to sea and drowned during a fishing trip near Big Sur on Veterans Day, remembered him at Avaya Stadium.

Nguyen’s family and friends attended the honorary signing of Nguyen to the San Jose Earthquakes team, Dec. 23 at the Earthquakes still under-construction stadium — for a team he dreamed of playing for professionally one day.

Nguyen, known as a prolific striker, had tried out for the team during open tryouts in 2013 but did not make it. The team’s coaches remember him as a standout player and recall asking him to come back and tryout again.

The honorary signing, the first one by the Earthquakes, was a testament to Nguyen’s skill and dedication on the soccer field.

Father, Austin Nguyen, was at the ceremony where he was presented with a commemorative Earthquakes jersey NO. 10 with his son’s name on it by Earthquakes general manager John Doyle and head coach Dominic Kinnear.

According to the Earthquakes website, “Nguyen, 24, was a three-year letter winner for Milpitas High School. He made the varsity team as a sophomore and earned a spot in the starting lineup by the end of the season, finishing with nine goals and six assists in 18 matches. As a junior, he tacked on another 13 goals and 10 assists and received First Team All-Santa Clara Valley Athletic League honors. He fully blossomed as a senior, receiving SCVAL Offensive Player of the Year and team MVP recognition after leading the league in scoring with 19 goals and 11 assists.”

Austin Nguyen recalls his son’s efforts to train for his first tryout with the Earthquakes in 2013 — training his son was undergoing until his death. Austin Nguyen said he’s proud his son was being honored and recognized by the Earthquakes.

“Even though he is not with us, he is still getting recognized by the Earthquakes. He deserved it from the sport he loved playing, from the team he dreamed of joining,” Austin Nguyen said. “I am emotional and happy, because that is all my son wanted to be, I always wanted him to play soccer … I am so proud of him, for years to come he will be remembered as an honorary member of the Earthquakes team. I am proud and happy for me and my family and also for the city of Mipitas to have him on the team.”

Austin Nguyen said Khiem’s 7-year-old son Kian, who was in school when the ceremony took place, was happy and emotional that his father and also his soccer coach was being recognized.

HONORARY SIGNING

Peter Nguyen, a friend and teammate of Khiem’s from high school, said Khiem was one of the first people he had met when he moved to Milpitas from Washington,

“My mom had met Khiem a few times when we were in high school and when she heard about him passing, she saw how sad we were and wanted to reach out to the Earthquakes to see if they could do anything to honor him,” Peter Nguyen said. “My mom sent them an email, and when she told me I thought it was definitely a long shot and probably was not going to happen, but then I got an email back from the Earthquakes and I was absolutely shocked … I talked to Kian and Khiem’s family and they were in tears of joy, it was such a cool thing for them to do.”

Peter Nguyen said initially the team offered to give the family a jersey with Khiem’s name on it or to announce an honorary signing. He responded asking if there was a possibility of doing both, which the team’s reperesentatives readily agreed to.

He added it was a great moment to remember Khiem.

“We always used to talk about trying out and saying we would and Khiem ended up trying out … he was the kind of guy who was positive and forward thinking, when I was able to see his jersey it made me emotional, I wish he was here physically and I know it was a difficult time for his family, but I know he would have been happy with what happened,” Peter Nguyen said.

He recalled Khiem being the first to welcome him on the soccer team and how their relationship continued to develop after they graduated and went onto college and work.

“Funny story, when I first moved here I didn’t know too much about Milpitas, my dad just saw Khiem practicing and told me to go join him, he was two years older than me and he already had a reputation for being a superstar and it shocked me how great of a guy he was,” Peter Nguyen said. “I am the oldest of four boys, but Khiem was definitely an older brother to me.”

Khiem graduated from Milpitas High School in 2008 and attended De Anza College for two years, playing for the soccer team. After realizing college was not for him, he decided to join the Air National Guard in 2011 — serving in the 129th Rescue Wing based at Moffett Field.

Still, he never gave up his dream to play professional soccer.

His two biggest passions were his son, Kian, who he was raising jointly with Kian’s mother Elizabeth Cunningham, born their junior year of high school in 2007, and soccer.

Prior to his death, Khiem was awarded, “Outstanding Airman of the Year.”

His friends recall playing The Fédération Internationale de Football Association soccer video game for hours, and talking about whatever was on their mind with Khiem, who they say was a very passionate and empathetic person.

Cunningham called Kian, now a second-grader at Anthony Spangler Elementary School, a “Daddy’s boy,” who looked up to his father and aspired to be just like him.

Bill Leffler, varsity soccer coach at Milpitas High, and Ian Danielson, junior varsity coach and photography teacher at the school, told this paper in November they remembered Khiem as an energetic player who had the ability to bring the team together.

“He was one of those players that when he touched the ball something positive would happen from it …he was a full player and such that he could make people around him successful,” Leffler said. “He did not back down from contact and he was able to play full speed all the time.”

Khiem also coached for Milpitas Youth Soccer League

Khiem and his friends loved to fish and had fished at Soberanes Point near Big Sur three times prior. It’s a place where warning signs alerting visitors of sneaker waves and rip currents are posted. On Nov. 11, 2014, Khiem and his friends headed to Soberanes Point early, where they spent the morning casually fishing, until Khiem decided to get closer to the water.

Michael Tieng, a friend since high school, was with Khiem when the accident happened around 9 a.m. The U.S. Coast Guard and other rescue teams combed the shore all day looking for Khiem, and ended the search and rescue that night. Dive teams returned the next morning for what was now a recovery mission, and found Khiem’s body exactly where it had gone in, stuck between a couple of rocks.

The family was fortunate to have found Khiem’s body given the violent waves in the area, said Khoa Nguyen, Khiem’s older brother, adding it had given the family closure.

A GoFund Me page set up by Khiem’s friends for funeral expenses and as a trust fund for son Kian had raised almost $44,000 in the month since the accident happened. The page can be visited at gofundme.com/h7mtp8.

Khoa Nguyen, who was not able to attend the honorary signing for his brother, said he was proud of his brother’s achievements.

“If he were here I would tell him how much I love him and how proud I am of him, also how I looked up to him even though he was my younger brother,” he added.

Contact Aliyah Mohammed at amohammed@themilpitaspost.com or 408-262-2454 or follow her on twitter.com/Aliyah_JM. Visit us on our social media sites at facebook.com/MilpitasPost and twitter.com/MilpitasPost.