American Journey: Philip Rasmussen finds way to Hartford Athletic

Philip Rasmussen heads the ball against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. (Matt May/Tampa Bay Rowdies)

From the outside, it did not appear Hartford Athletic midfielder Philip Rasmussen needed to change a thing when he took stock of his professional situation a couple of years ago.

Rasmussen climbed his way back into the Danish SuperLiga with Lyngby Boldklub, the club where he started in the game as an academy player. He featured 13 times in the early stages of the 2016-17 season, primarily as a substitute. He played on the outskirts of his hometown, Copenhagen, with a club destined to finish third in the league that campaign and secure a Europa League place for the following year.

During the winter break, Rasmussen contemplated his future. He knew he needed to give his career a jolt, even if the circumstances with Lyngby were positive at the time. And then he spoke to a former teammate about the possibility of leaving his home country behind for an adventure in the United States.