Californian feels at home


Denmark’s Mikka Hansen was a good player at Santa Clara University and had a brief stint with the U.S. under-20 national team. But her future wasn’t with the U.S.

The 23-year-old Californian was a forward, a target player, in college and fit in well in the short-passing system at Santa Clara. She didn’t have the speed that the U.S. coaches like in their forwards, but she has become a starter at outside midfield for the U.S. team’s first Group A opponent.

“Mikka is a very good player,” U.S. coach Tony DiCicco said. “Because of the depth we had with her position, she couldn’t make the full national team. She fits in quite nicely with Denmark. She brings a take-on dimension at left flank.”

“I always hoped to play for the U.S. team,” Hansen said, “but I came to the realization I wasn’t going to play for the U.S. I was very excited for the opportunity to play in the World Cup with Denmark. I’ll be excited [to play the U.S.]. It’ll be a lot of fun because I grew up with a lot of them.”

Hansen also played for U.S. veteran Brandi Chastain, who is an assistant coach at Santa Clara. After graduating, she spent some time in the Denver area coaching youth soccer and playing for the Denver Diamonds. She went to Denmark, the birthplace of her father, Per, last January. She plays for Frederiksberg in Denmark’s semiprofessional league. Fellow Santa Clara alums Dayna Smith and Jen Lalor, who was on the U.S. World Cup ’95 squad, also play for Frederiksberg, which pays Hansen a moderate salary.

“It’s enough to live on,” Hansen said. “They pay all my expenses and my room and board. We have a great apartment in downtown Copenhagen. They gave us mountain bikes. And I work at a fitness center, which is one of our sponsors.”

Hansen made an easy transition to life in Denmark. She speaks some Danish but doesn’t need to be fluent because most Danes speak English.

“My family’s very Danish,” she said. “The Danish culture and tradition was a very big part of my upbringing. I feel very comfortable here. It feels like home.”

Hansen has played in Denmark since January and wants to play another season, through next summer. After that, “maybe I need to get a life outside of soccer,” she said. “For me, it’s not about money, it’s about being happy. Right now, playing soccer is what makes me happy.”

by Soccer America Associate Editor Dean Caparaz