Hartford – Hartford Athletic announced the signing of Philip Rasmussen, Sebastian Dalgaard, Sem De Wit, and Mads Jørgensen for the Club’s inaugural USL Championship season in 2019, pending league and federation approval.

“We’ve added great experience and leadership with this group of players,” Head Coach Jimmy Nielsen said. “Sebastian and Philip know the league well and both are very creative, dynamic players. Mads Jørgensen may only be 20 years old, but he is a great leader who excels in set pieces. Sem is also young, but I expect him to be the leader of our defense in 2019.”

“If I have learned something in my three years in USL, it is that the way forward is humility and hard work,” said Dalgaard. “If you want something, you have to work hard for it, and that’s how we plan to do things here.”

Philip Rasmussen, a 29-year-old from Copenhagen, Denmark, spent the last two seasons playing for the USL Championship's OKC Energy FC. In 2018, Rasmussen set career highs, starting 25 games and scoring three goals. The 6-foot, 177-pound midfielder, played four seasons with Lyngby BK in Denmark’s first division. During those four seasons, he appeared in 101 matches and scored four goals in just over 7,800 minutes of play.

Sebastian Dalgaard comes back to the United States after spending the 2018 season playing for Middelfart in his home country of Denmark. He scored seven goals and added six assists during his time with the Club. Dalgaard, a 27-year-old left winger, played three seasons in the USL Championship, playing for Saint Louis FC in 2017 and for OKC Energy FC in 2015 and 2016. Dalgaard was also named to OKC’s All-Time Team, honoring the best players in franchise history.

Sem De Wit comes to Hartford from FC Cincinnati, with which he claimed the 2018 USL Championship regular season title. A 23-year-old center back, De Wit is a Championship veteran, having spent the 2016 season with Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 before moving on to Cincinnati. He hails from Harderwijk in the Netherlands and turned pro as a 17-year-old. He played four seasons professionally in his home country before joining Vancouver.

Mads Jørgensen is a 20-year-old midfielder from Denmark who has spent the last 2 seasons with BK Marienlyst. Despite his age, Jørgensen was named team captain for the 2018 season. Mads scored 6 goals in 19 matches in 2018.

As the Club continues to build its roster with exciting and experienced talent, Hartford Athletic also announced dates for the 2019 Open Tryout giving local talent the opportunity to showcase their ability in front of Hartford Athletic coaches and staff

Tryouts will take place on January 19th at Oakwood Soccer Club in Glastonbury, CT from 9 PM to Midnight or on January 25th at Sportsworld in East Windsor, CT from 9 AM to Noon. Players trying out will only participate in one of the two sessions. There is limited availability for participation so interested players should register now at shop.hartfordathletic.com.