Hugh Alexander Dixon (born February 7, 1990) is an American professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
player who plays as a
winger for
USL Championship
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, p ...
club
Monterey Bay FC
Monterey Bay Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in Monterey County, California. The club was established on February 21, 2021, and is a member of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer league system ...
.
College and amateur
The first youth club Dixon played for was the Texas Heat. He then joined the Houston Texans youth soccer club.
He was a member of the
United States U-17 residency program before returning to the
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
and joining the
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...
academy. He also trained with the Dynamo first team for a bit during the 2008 season. Dixon then spent three years at
UNC Chapel Hill UNC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:
Education
* University of Northern California (disambiguation), which may refer to:
** University of Northern California (Santa Rosa), in Petaluma, California, United States
** University of Nor ...
where he appeared regularly for the Tar Heels. North Carolina qualified for the
NCAA College Cup
The NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament, sometimes known as the College Cup, is an American intercollegiate soccer tournament conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and determines the Division I men's national champ ...
during all three of Dixon's season there.
Dixon also spent the 2010 season with
Reading United in the
USL Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league syste ...
.
Club career
Houston Dynamo
Dixon was signed a
Homegrown Player contract with the
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...
on January 19, 2011. Dixon was the fourth Homegrown Player in Dynamo history. He made his professional debut on April 2, 2011, coming on as a second-half substitute for
Will Bruin
William Christopher Bruin (born October 24, 1989) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC. Prior to joining Seattle, he spent 6 seasons playing for the Houston Dynamo. H ...
in a 1–1 draw with
New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
.
He scored his first goal with the Dynamo on August 20, 2011, with a goal in the 93rd minute to give Houston a 3–2 win over
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake, often shortened to RSL, is an American professional soccer franchise based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes as a member club of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Western Conference. RSL began play in 2 ...
.
On September 20, 2012, Dixon made his CONCACAF Champions League debut win he came on as a substitute in a 4–0 win over
C.D. FAS
Club Deportivo Futbolistas Asociados Santanecos, commonly known as FAS (pronounced "fas"), is a professional Salvadoran football club based in Santa Ana.
It competes in Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador, the country's top professiona ...
.
However, Dixon only made 6 appearances across all competitions as he struggled to get game time.
On May 29, 2013, Dixon scored his first
US Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in men's Soccer in the United States, soccer in the United States of America. It is the oldest ongoing nati ...
goal in a 2–0 win over
FC Tucson.
However he saw limited playing time and was loaned to the Tampa Bay Rowdies. On April 27, Dixon scored his first and only goal for Tampa Bay, against the
Fort Lauderdale Strikers Fort Lauderdale Strikers may refer to:
*Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983), member of North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983
*Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994), member of American Soccer League from 1988 to 1989 and American Profes ...
.
Dixon saw limited game time in his three seasons in Houston and was waived after the 2013 season.
Rochester Rhinos
Dixon signed with
Rochester Rhinos
Rochester New York FC, formerly known as the Rochester Rhinos, are an American professional soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States.
Founded in 1996, as the Rochester Raging Rhinos, they changed their name to Rochester Rhinos to ...
at the beginning of the 2014 season. He made his Rhinos debut on April 5 against
Orlando City.
Dixon scored his first goal for Rochester on May 2, 2014 in a 1–1 draw with the
Richmond Kickers.
On May 17, Dixon scored the winning goal in a 1–0 over the
Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is an American professional soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1999 and beginning play in 1999, the club plays in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American so ...
. Dixon helped the Rhinos qualify for the 2014 USL Playoffs. In their first match, he got an assist, but the Rhinos lost 2–1 to
LA Galaxy II
LA Galaxy II is an American professional soccer team based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, United States founded in 2014. It is the reserve team of the LA Galaxy. The team competes in MLS Next Pro, the third tier of the United Sta ...
.
Dixon got off to a hot start in the 2015 season, scoring 3 times in the first 6 games. The first came on April 4 as he scored the winning goal to give the Rhinos a 2–1 over Pittsburgh. The next goal for Dixon came on April 16 to rescue a draw against
Louisville City. Then on April 26, Dixon scored another game winner, this time against
New York Red Bulls II
New York Red Bulls II is an American professional soccer team based in Montclair, New Jersey. They are the reserve team of the New York Red Bulls and play in MLS Next Pro, the third tier in the American soccer pyramid.
History
Red Bull New Yo ...
, to give Rochester a 2–0 win. Although Dixon failed to score the rest of the season for Rochester, he still made an impact in other ways, such as picking up 2 assists, drawing fouls in dangerous areas, and using his pace and positioning to create opportunities for the other forwards. Dixon helped Rochester win their first ever USL Regular Season title in club history, topping the table by 13 points. Dixon started all three of the Rhinos' playoffs games as they went on to win the playoffs as well.
Jacksonville Armada
On December 16, 2015, Dixon signed with
Jacksonville Armada FC
Jacksonville Armada FC is an American professional soccer team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They most recently played in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid, during the 2018 season while ...
of the
North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League may refer to:
*North American Soccer League (1968–1984), a former Division I league
*North American Soccer League (2011–2017)
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league b ...
ahead of the 2016 season. He made his Armada debut on April 10, 2016 in a 2–0 defeat to the
New York Cosmos New York Cosmos may refer to
* New York Cosmos (1970–1985), a team in the North American Soccer League (then the top-tier soccer league in the United States and Canada)
* New York Cosmos (2010), a team playing since 2020 in the National Independ ...
.
On June 1, Jacksonville was tied in extra time until the 108th minute when Dixon backheeled a pass to
Alhassane Keita who put it in the net to give the Armada a 2–1 win over the
Charleston Battery
The Charleston Battery are an American professional association football, soccer club based in Charleston, South Carolina, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 1993, the Battery are one of the oldest continuously operating professiona ...
in the US Open Cup. On July 9, Dixon scored one and assisted on another goal as Jacksonville beat
Puerto Rico FC
Puerto Rico FC was a professional football club based in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Founded in 2015, the team played in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. The team debuted in the 2016 fall ...
2–1, giving Dixon his first goal with the Armada.
Dixon scored his second goal for Jacksonville on October 19 as he helped the Armada defeat
Miami FC
The Miami FC is an American professional soccer team based in Miami, Florida that competes in the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid.
The club began play in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in the 2016 se ...
3–2.
Oklahoma City Energy
Dixon joined USL side
Oklahoma City Energy
Oklahoma City Energy Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The club is a member of the USL Championship, the second division of the American soccer league system.
History
Oklahoma City businessma ...
on December 8, 2016. He made his OKC debut on March 25 in a 3–1 loss to
Swope Park Rangers
Sporting Kansas City II is a MLS Next Pro club affiliated with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer. For the 2022 season they will play their home games at Rock Chalk Park at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, as well as Sw ...
.
In the Energy's next match, Dixon scored his first goal for OKC as they got a 1–1 draw with the
Colorado Springs Switchbacks
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC is a professional soccer team based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Founded in 2014, the team is a member of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. The franchise is owned by Martin E ...
. On May 17 Dixon scored twice as the Energy defeated
Moreno Valley FC 5–1 in their second round match in the US Open Cup. Dixon would score again in OKC's next match, this time in league play, on May 20 in a 1–0 win over
Orange County SC
Orange County Soccer Club is an American soccer team based in the Orange County, California city of Irvine. Founded in 2010 as the Los Angeles Blues, the team currently plays in the second tier USL Championship.
The team plays its home games ...
. On August 5, Dixon scored a brace as the Energy won 2–0 against
Real Monarchs
Real Monarchs is a professional soccer club playing in the MLS Next Pro, a third division league of American soccer. The team is owned by, and operates as the reserve team of, the Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake. While the senior club is ...
, who were at the top of the league table. On October 8, Dixon had 2 assists to help give Oklahoma City a 4–1 over Swope Park. The victory also clinched the Energy's spot in the
2017 USL Playoffs. Dixon and the Energy reached the conference finals, but lost 7–6 on penalties. On the season, Dixon was 3rd in goals scored and minutes played for OKC.
Dixon re-signed with the Energy on December 13, 2017. The Energy and Dixon got off to a slow start in 2018, going 2-0-8 in their first 10 league games with Dixon failing to record a goal or assist during that span. Dixon picked up his first assist of the year on May 26 in a 1–1 draw with the
Tulsa Roughnecks Tulsa Roughnecks may refer to any of four distinct professional soccer teams:
*Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–1984), the original top-flight team that played in the North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1984.
*Tulsa Roughnecks (1993–2000), the team ...
. He would score his first goal of the season on June 2 in a 2–1 defeat to
Reno 1868. Dixon would find the back of the net again in OKC's next match, however they would once again lose 2–1, this time to
Seattle Sounders 2. On July 4, Dixon got an assist to help the Energy to a 1–1 draw with
San Antonio FC
San Antonio FC is a professional soccer club based in San Antonio, Texas. It competes in the USL Championship, the second-highest level of the United States soccer league system, as a member of the Western Conference.
History
San Antonio F ...
. He would stay hot in OKC's next match as he scored to help the Energy earn a 1–1 draw with Colorado Springs on July 7. In Oklahoma City's next match, Dixon would lead them to a win over
Las Vegas Lights FC
Las Vegas Lights FC is an American professional soccer team based in Las Vegas, Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho ...
, scoring twice and assisting on another to help the Energy earn a 6–4 win. Dixon was named to the USL Team of the Week for his performance against Las Vegas. On August 8, Dixon scored as the Energy beat Tulsa 3–0, giving them the season series in the
Black Gold Derby
The Black Gold Derby is an American soccer rivalry between the two USL Championship (USLC) clubs based in Oklahoma: OKC Energy FC and FC Tulsa. The winner of the regular season series is awarded a four-foot wrench.
History
The Oklahoma City Ene ...
. He would score again in their next game to help OKC beat Real Monarchs 3–2. On August 18, Dixon found the back of the net for the third straight game and also added an assist as OKC defeated
Rio Grande Valley
The Lower Rio Grande Valley ( es, Valle del Río Grande), commonly known as the Rio Grande Valley or locally as the Valley or RGV, is a region spanning the border of Texas and Mexico located in a floodplain of the Rio Grande near its mouth. The ...
4–2. Dixon was once again named to the USL Team of the Week as a result of his good performances. He would end the season in good form, scoring in 3 of the last 6 matches.
The Energy failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2018. However, Dixon enjoyed the most productive season of his career, his 34 appearances, 5 assists, and 11 goals were both career highs. His 11 goals were also the most on the team.
Hartford Athletic
On December 18, 2018, Dixon joined
Hartford Athletic
Hartford Athletic is an American professional soccer team based in Hartford, Connecticut. The club was founded in 2018 and started play in the USL Championship in 2019. It is the only pro soccer team in Connecticut.
History
On June 8, 2021, Ha ...
ahead of their inaugural 2019 season. Dixon made his Hartford debut on March 9, 2019 in a 2–0 loss to
Atlanta United 2
Atlanta United 2 are the reserve team of the Major League Soccer club Atlanta United FC. The team plays in the USL Championship, the second tier of American soccer. The team was established on November 14, 2017 and began their first professional ...
. He scored his first goal for Hartford on April 27, however they would lose 4–1 to
North Carolina FC
North Carolina FC is an American professional soccer team in Cary, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh. Founded in 2006, the team plays in USL League One, the third tier of the American league system.
The team has played its home games a ...
. Dixon got his first assist for Hartford on May 10 in a 1–2 loss to
Memphis 901. He picked up his second goal for Hartford on July 17 in a 4–3 loss to Swope Park Rangers. On September 7, Dixon scored twice in a 5–1 win over
Loudoun United and was subsequently named to the USLC Team of the Weak. He finished the season with 5 goals, tied for 3rd most on the team, and with 4 assists, tied for the most on the team.
it was a poor league campaign for Hartford as a team, finishing 2nd to last in the Eastern Conference.
On October 30, 2019, Dixon signed a contract with Hartford for the 2020 season.
The start of Hartford's 2020 season was delayed due to the
COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
Dixon and Hartford opened their season on July 17 with a 1–0 win over
New York Red Bulls II
New York Red Bulls II is an American professional soccer team based in Montclair, New Jersey. They are the reserve team of the New York Red Bulls and play in MLS Next Pro, the third tier in the American soccer pyramid.
History
Red Bull New Yo ...
. Dixon scored his first goal of the season on July 29 in a 4–1 loss to
Indy Eleven
Indy Eleven is an American professional soccer team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 2013, the team made its debut in the North American Soccer League in 2014, before moving to the United Soccer League in 2018. The franchise plays it ...
. On August 2 he scored once to help Hartford defeat Red Bulls II 2–1. In Hartford's next match, Dixon scored in the 89th minute to earn a 2–2 draw with
Loudoun United. On September 16, Dixon scored to help Hartford top Red Bulls II 3–0. He scored twice on September 20 as Hartford defeated
Philadelphia Union II 3–0.
His performance saw him named to the USL Championship Team of the Week. Dixon ended the regular season with 6 goals from 15 appearances, out of a possible 16, to help Hartford 2nd in the Eastern Conference and qualify for the playoffs.
He would get the start in Hartford's first ever playoff game, but
Saint Louis FC
Saint Louis FC was an American professional soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team was founded in May 2014, and competed in the USL Championship. The team played their matches at West Community Stadium, a venue inside the World Wid ...
would win 1–0 on a goal in stoppage time.
Following the season, Hartford fans voted Dixon the club's Offensive Player of the Year.
Pittsburgh Riverhounds
On January 8, 2021, Dixon signed a one-year contract with USL Championship side
Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is an American professional soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1999 and beginning play in 1999, the club plays in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American so ...
.
Monterey Bay FC
On December 13, 2022, Monterey Bay FC announced the signing of Dixon to a two year deal.
Personal life
Dixon has three brothers and one sister. He graduated from
Atascocita High School
Atascocita High School is a secondary school located in Atascocita CDP, a community housed in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States. AHS is a part of Humble Independent School District and serves the eastern part of the district an ...
. Dixon grew up in
Humble, Texas
Humble ( ) is a city located in the Houston metropolitan area. Humble became an oil boomtown in the early 20th century when oil was first discovered there in 1904. By 1905, the Humble oilfield was the largest producing oilfield in Texas. Humble ...
.
He started to play soccer when he was 4.
Dixon grew up an
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
fan.
Dixon grew up admiring athletes such as
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry (born 17 August 1977) is a French professional football coach, pundit, and former player who is an assistant coach for the Belgium national team. Considered one of the best strikers of all time and one of the best player ...
,
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
, and
Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
.
Career statistics
Honors
Reading United
* USL PDL Mid Atlantic Division: 2010
* USL PDL Eastern Conference: 2010
Rochester Rhinos
* USL Playoffs:
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
* USL Regular Season:
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
References
External links
North Carolina profileHartford Athletic profile*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dixon, Alex
1990 births
Living people
American soccer players
Soccer players from Texas
Sportspeople from Harris County, Texas
People from Bay City, Texas
Association football wingers
North Carolina Tar Heels men's soccer players
Reading United A.C. players
Homegrown Players (MLS)
Houston Dynamo FC players
Tampa Bay Rowdies players
Rochester New York FC players
Jacksonville Armada FC players
OKC Energy FC players
Hartford Athletic players
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC players
Monterey Bay FC players
USL League Two players
Major League Soccer players
North American Soccer League players
USL Championship players
United States men's youth international soccer players