Niko Hansen

Nikolaj Hansen (born 14 September 1994) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger. He previously appeared at the semi-professional level for Seattle Sounders FC U-23 and professionally with Columbus Crew SC and Houston Dynamo.

Not to be confused with Nikolaj Hansen (disambiguation).

Niko Hansen
Hansen with Columbus in 2017
Personal information
Full name Nikolaj Hansen[1]
Date of birth (1994-09-14) 14 September 1994
Place of birth Randers, Denmark
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward, winger
Youth career
0000–2011 Davis Legacy
2011–2012 Placer United
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2016 New Mexico Lobos 79 (28)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014 Seattle Sounders FC U-23 9 (2)
2017–2019 Columbus Crew SC 45 (4)
2019–2020 Houston Dynamo 21 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 December 2020

At a young age, Hansen moved to the United States and attended Jesuit High School. He played in college at New Mexico, appearing on an all-conference team in each of his four years with the Lobos and winning two conference titles. He also appeared with Seattle Sounders FC U-23 during the collegiate offseason. Hansen was selected by Columbus Crew SC in the first round of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft; he scored on his professional debut in March 2017. He is eligible to play for either the Denmark or United States national teams and is a citizen of both countries.[1]

Early life

Born in Randers, Denmark, Hansen grew up in Oksbøl before moving to the United States at the age of 10.[3][4] His family settled in Sacramento, California, where he attended Jesuit High School. As a senior, he scored 35 goals for the Marauders and was named as an NSCAA High School All-American.[5] Hansen was also selected to take part in the NSCAA High School All-American Game.[6]

Hansen played club soccer with Davis Legacy,[7] where he was teammates with Ahkello Witherspoon,[8] and with Placer United during his time in California. He committed to play college soccer for coach Jeremy Fishbein and the New Mexico Lobos.[9]

College and amateur

On 6 February 2013, Hansen was officially confirmed as part of the New Mexico roster, one of eight recruits brought in by the Lobos ahead of the 2013 season.[10] He made his collegiate debut on 31 August, starting and scoring two goals as part of a 7–2 victory over Villanova.[11] Hansen also scored on his Conference USA (C-USA) debut, tallying a goal in a 3–1 victory over Marshall[12] and tallied an assist in his NCAA Tournament debut against George Mason.[13] After tallying seven goals and five assists in 22 appearances on the season, he was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team.[14] As a sophomore, Hansen appeared 18 times and scored five goals. In one mid-season stretch, he scored three match-winning goals in four games: against Virginia Commonwealth, West Virginia, and Florida International.[15] At the end of the season, he was named to the All-CUSA Third Team.[16]

Ahead of his junior season, Hansen was called up to the United States U23 national team, taking part in a college identification training camp ahead of the 2015 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship.[17] He stepped straight back into form after returning to New Mexico, scoring goals in back-to-back matches against Missouri State and American in September.[18][19] He scored just one more time on the season, but was named Second Team All-CUSA, with a total of three goals and three assists from 18 appearances.[20] As a senior, Hansen appeared 21 times while leading the Lobos to their first C-USA tournament title since joining the conference four years prior.[21] On 17 September, he scored his first career hat trick in a 3–1 victory over UC Irvine.[22] Hansen tallied a career-high 13 goals during the year, earned a spot on the C-USA All-Tournament Team,[23] and was named to the All-CUSA First Team.[24] He finished his collegiate career with 28 goals in 79 appearances.[15]

Seattle Sounders FC U-23

Following his freshman season at New Mexico, Hansen played for Seattle Sounders FC U-23 in the Premier Development League.[25] He made his debut for the club on 16 May in a season-opening defeat against Lane United.[26] Two weeks later, Hansen added his first Sounders FC U-23 goal, a 54th-minute tally in a 3–0 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23.[27] After tacking on another goal in mid-June, Hansen finished the campaign with two goals and an assist in his lone season with Seattle.[28]

Club career

Columbus Crew SC
Hansen was the second-ever New Mexico player drafted by Columbus, following Brandon Moss in 2006.[29]

Columbus Crew SC selected Hansen with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft.[30] Because he had already signed a league-guaranteed contract before the draft, Hansen was automatically added to the Columbus roster without having to negotiate a contract with the club.[29] Hansen made his club and professional debut on 25 March against Portland Timbers, replacing Justin Meram in the 60th minute of a tied match. He would go on to provide Crew SC with a 3–2 victory, scoring the game-winning goal in the 84th minute.[31] Hansen missed 14 matches during the summer after undergoing surgery to repair an inguinal hernia and then suffering a thigh strain upon his return to training.[32][33] He returned in time for Columbus' playoff run, appearing as an extra time substitute in the knockout round against Atlanta United. He scored in the penalty shootout as Crew SC advanced by a 3–1 margin.[34] After finishing the season with one goal in 16 appearances, Hansen had his contract option picked up by the club.[35]

Hansen was expected to challenge for a starting spot at the beginning of the 2018 season following the departure of Justin Meram, but suffered a pulled hamstring during preseason camp.[36] He found his form in the later part of the year, scoring a match-tying goal against Chicago Fire on 23 August[37] and bagging a brace in a 3–2 defeat against Portland on 19 September.[38] For a second consecutive season, Hansen scored in a knockout round penalty shootout, this time helping Columbus advance over D.C. United by a 3–2 result.[39] However, he missed the conference semifinals against New York Red Bulls after picking up an ankle injury against D.C.[40] After appearing 24 times and scoring three goals, Hansen again had his contract option picked up by the club.[41]

Following the 2018 season, Hansen had surgery on his ankle; during the 2019 preseason, he suffered two setbacks, tearing scar tissue in the same ankle then suffering a torn hamstring in his preseason debut.[42] He returned to full health after missing five league matches, appearing off the bench on 6 April against New England Revolution.[43] Hansen struggled to earn a spot in the rotation under new head coach Caleb Porter, appearing in just nine matches in Columbus under Porter.[2] Hansen was traded to Houston in early August, ending his time in Columbus with four goals from 49 appearances in all competitions.[44]

"I won’t try to be something that I’m not. I’m physical, I’m quick, I want to get behind the lines and I want to be direct and try to score goals and get crosses...I want to come in and make a difference."

—Hansen, speaking about himself in 2019[43]

Houston Dynamo

On 8 August 2019, Hansen was traded to Houston Dynamo in exchange for $75,000 in targeted allocation money.[44] He made his debut for the Dynamo three days later, entering as a substitute in a 2–1 defeat against Philadelphia Union,[45] and went on to make four appearances during his first season in Houston.[2] Following the campaign, the Dynamo picked up the option on Hansen's contract.[46]

At the beginning of the 2020 season, Hansen made one substitute appearance before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[47] He played just one time in the MLS is Back Tournament, but became a regular part of the rotation once the regular season resumed: he appeared in all but three games the rest of the way. Hansen scored his first Dynamo goal on 25 August and added an assist as part of a 5–2 victory against Sporting Kansas City.[48] After scoring in October against Minnesota United, he finished the season with two goals from 17 appearances.[2] His contract expired following the season, but Hansen was extended a contract offer and was protected by the Dynamo ahead of the 2020 MLS Expansion Draft.[49][50]

Career statistics
As of 8 November 2020[2][51][52]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[lower-alpha 1] Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Seattle Sounders FC U-23 2014[28] PDL 92———92
Columbus Crew SC 2017 MLS 14110—1[lower-alpha 2]0161
2018 22310—1[lower-alpha 2]0243
2019 9000——90
Total 454200020494
Houston Dynamo 2019 MLS 400000—40
2020 172———172
Total 212000000212
Career total 758200020798
  1. All appearances in the U.S. Open Cup
  2. Appearances in the MLS Cup Playoffs

Honors
New Mexico[53]
Individual

References
  1. Niko Hansen at WorldFootball.net
  2. Niko Hansen at Major League Soccer
  3. Johnson, Ed (11 September 2015). "Lobos, Hansen confident goals will eventually come". Albuquerque Journal. Journal Publishing Company. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  4. Quincy Amarikwa (7 September 2020). "Niko Hansen @loboneeks – Perfect Soccer Podcast Ep.026". Perfect Soccer (Podcast). Event occurs at 2:12. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  5. "2012 NSCAA Boys High School All-America Team". Soccer America. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  6. "Rosters for the 2012 High School All-American Game announced". National Soccer Coaches Association of America. 17 November 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  7. Enterprise staff (10 August 2011). "Youth soccer: Davis teams show the full Arsenal". The Davis Enterprise. McNaughton Newspapers. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  8. "When NFL star Ahkello Witherspoon reconnects with former Legacy teammate and MLS star Niko Hansen during a zoom call with their former coach Didi Cordova and his 09 Boys Legacy team. #teammatesneverforget". Davis Legacy Soccer Club. Facebook. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  9. "Placer United's Niko Hansen Comes Up Huge in High School Division 1 Final". Placer United Soccer Club. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  10. 2013 Lobo Men's Soccer | 2013 Recruiting Class (YouTube video). Albuquerque, New Mexico: New Mexico Lobos. 7 February 2013. Event occurs at 4:53. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  11. Oppenheim, J.R. (4 September 2013). "Lobos top Villanova 7–2". New Mexico Daily Lobo. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  12. "Herd Falls 3–1 to No. 25 New Mexico". Marshall Thundering Herd. Marshall University. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  13. Oppenheim, J.R. (25 November 2013). "Men's Soccer: Men nip George Mason, head to Sweet 16". New Mexico Daily Lobo. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  14. "Four Gamecocks Earn All-Conference Honors". South Carolina Gamecocks. University of South Carolina. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  15. "Niko Hansen – New Mexico profile". New Mexico Lobos. University of New Mexico. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  16. "Five Monarchs Earn C-USA honors". Old Dominion Monarchs and Lady Monarchs. Old Dominion University. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  17. "Niko Hansen Invited to U.S. U23 Team Camp". TopDrawerSoccer.com. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  18. Jackson, Chris (19 September 2015). "Hansen, New Mexico beat tough Missouri State 1–0". Albuquerque Journal. Journal Publishing Company. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  19. "Lobos open C-USA with tough test". The Los Alamos Monitor. Landmark Media Enterprises. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2017. Hansen was named C-USA’s Offensive Player of the Week after scoring the game-winner against Missouri State and the game-tying goal against No. 21 American last weekend.
  20. "2015 C-USA Men's Soccer Awards Announced". Conference USA. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  21. Gonzalez, Isabel (14 November 2016). "Men's Soccer: Lobos Conference USA Champions after blanking FIU". New Mexico Daily Lobo. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  22. ABQJournal News Staff (18 September 2016). "UNM men's soccer rolls". Albuquerque Journal. Journal Publishing Company. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  23. "MSOC: New Mexico Wins C-USA Championship". Conference USA. 13 November 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  24. "MSOC: All-Conference USA Honors Announced". Conference USA. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  25. "Seven Sounders U23 players drafted to MLS". Tukwila Reporter. Black Press. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  26. "Sounders U23 0–1 Lane United (RECAP)". Seattle Sounders FC U-23. United Soccer League. 16 May 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  27. "Sounders U23 3 – 0 Whitecaps U23 (RECAP)". Seattle Sounders FC U-23. United Soccer League. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  28. "Premier Development League 2014 Statistics". Premier Development League. United Soccer League. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  29. ABQJournal News Staff (14 January 2017). "Lobo Hansen picked 9th in MLS SuperDraft". Albuquerque Journal. Journal Publishing Company. Archived from the original on 15 January 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  30. Tate, Van (13 January 2017). "Niko Hansen a first round pick of the Columbus Crew SC". KRQE. Nexstar Media Group. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  31. "Columbus Crew defeat Portland Timbers, 3–2". Herald and News. Pioneer News Group. 26 March 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  32. Crew SC Communications (21 June 2017). "Crew SC midfielder Niko Hansen undergoes successful hernia surgery". Columbus Crew SC. Major League Soccer. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  33. Erickson, Andrew (24 August 2017). "Crew Cuts: Francis out for Saturday's game with hamstring injury". The Columbus Dispatch. GateHouse Media. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  34. Creditor, Avi (26 October 2017). "Steffen Saves Crew in Atlanta, Sends Columbus Through in MLS Playoff Classic". Sports Illustrated. Time Inc. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  35. Murphy, Pat (1 December 2017). "Columbus Crew SC exercise options on nine players for 2018". Massive Report. SB Nation. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  36. Torres, Guilherme (3 May 2018). "Niko Hansen hoping for a healthy second year with Crew SC". Massive Report. SB Nation. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  37. "Hansen scores 1st goal of season in 87th, Crew tie Fire 1–1". Associated Press. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  38. Peterson, Anne M. (20 September 2018). "Portland Timbers down short-handed Columbus Crew 3–2". Statesman Journal. Gannett. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  39. Field Level Media (2 November 2018). "Columbus Stops Rooney and D.C. United in Shootout to Advance". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  40. Guldan, Patrick (4 November 2018). "Game Thread: Columbus Crew SC vs. New York Red Bulls". Massive Report. SB Nation. Retrieved 30 November 2018. Niko Hansen is questionable with an ankle injury...
  41. Guldan, Patrick (26 November 2018). "Crew SC announces 2019 roster decisions". Massive Report. SB Nation. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  42. Myers, Jacob (9 April 2019). "Niko Hansen now healthy, eager to help Crew SC". The Columbus Dispatch. GateHouse Media. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  43. Torres, Guilherme (10 April 2019). "A healthy Niko Hansen is looking to make a difference for the Crew". Massive Report. SB Nation. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  44. Patrick Guldan and Pat Murphy (8 August 2019). "Crew trading Niko Hansen to Houston Dynamo". Massive Report. SB Nation. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  45. Stowers, Derek (11 August 2019). "Houston Dynamo end road trip with a loss to the Philadelphia Union". Dynamo Theory. SB Nation. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  46. Houston Dynamo Communications (21 November 2019). "Dynamo Announce Roster Moves Ahead of 2020 Season". Houston Dynamo. Major League Soccer. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  47. Richardson, Dustyn (12 March 2020). "MLS Season Suspended For 30 Days Due to Coronavirus Outbreak". Dynamo Theory. SB Nation. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  48. Hill, Glynn (26 August 2020). "Roster depth key in Dynamo's first win of season". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Communications. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  49. "Houston Dynamo FC exercise 2021 contract options on 10 players". Houston Dynamo FC. Major League Soccer. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  50. Stowers, Derek (14 December 2020). "Houston Dynamo announce 2020 MLS expansion draft protected list". Dynamo Theory. SB Nation. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  51. Niko Hansen at Soccerway. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  52. "Niko Hansen at FBRef.com". FBRef. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  53. "Lobo Soccer History and Record Book" (PDF). New Mexico Lobos. University of New Mexico. July 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
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