Chattanooga Red Wolves defender Richard Dixon has already shown his versatility by assisting on the professional soccer team's first goal of the preseason.The goal is simple for Eamon Zayed and the Chattanooga Red Wolves.
Produce an entertaining style of soccer and raise the trophy at the end of the inaugural season of USL League One.
"We are a team full of proven winners," said Zayed, who once earned the nickname "Mr. Hat Trick" and ranks among the League of Ireland's top 15 all-time scorers. "We are here to win the whole thing and score a lot of goals."
With the Red Wolves' regular-season opener set for March 30 at North Texas SC in the Dallas area, they'll try to end their preseason schedule strong in Saturday's 10:45 a.m. exhibition against back-to-back USL Cup winners Louisville City at Chattanooga Christian School's David Stanton Field.
Although the Chattanooga team is in its first year, the Red Wolves are led by a veteran coach, Tim Hankinson, and have a roster with experienced players. They hope their potential to score from all over the field will keep opposing defenders on their heels.
Zayed - one of several Red Wolves who have played for or against Hankinson before this year - scored the team's first preseason goal on an assist from Richard Dixon, a Red Wolves defender.
"There is a lot of versatility on our team, and that works perfectly for my style of play," said Dixon, a two-time Gulf South Conference player of the year at the University of West Florida. "We have a lot of weapons up top who can score, and I look forward to assisting them. Our chemistry is coming together."
Zayed scored 26 goals in 59 matches for the Indy Eleven, a USL Championship league team, in 2016-17. He scored 133 of his 205 senior career goals in the League of Ireland, where he received recognition as the young player of the year with Bray Wanderers in 2003 and the overall player of the year with Derry City in 2011.
While playing in Iran in 2012, he scored a hat trick in the final 10 minutes of the Tehran Derby to help Persepolis FC overcome a 2-0 deficit in the 82nd minute against Esteghlal FC.
Now the 35-year-old has high expectations of himself for 2019 with his new club.
"It's a team game, first and foremost," Zayed said. "We are going to win and lose as a team. One of the goals I have set is to win the (league's) top goal-scorer award in the inaugural season. I feel like myself along with Steven (Beattie), Sito (Seoane), Juan (Soto) and Connor (Doyle) all can be dangerous scorers."
While the team has players with experience in Major League Soccer, USL Championship and high levels in other countries - as well as for national teams - the Red Wolves know their goals have to be achieved through consistent hard work.
"We have to go out there fighting to get better every day and show we can play together," Dixon said. "We have to embrace our roles and understand the system. The biggest thing is to improve every day."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.