[[Image:Morphy Löwenthal 1858.jpg|right|thumb|300Ppx|Morphy vs. Löwenthal, 1858]]
Morphy started off as relatively unknown in the European chess scenecircles, with very few of his games being seen by top players of that time. Because of his age and strength of opposition in his own country, opinion on him in Europe wasn't that which it was in America. Due to his success in the American Chess Congress, many felt confident they had a player strong enough to challenge the best players abroad and that he should be supported by the American Chess Association to make those challenges. Initially, there were problems with travel. European opinion was that they should not have to make the journey to America to play a young relative unknown.
