Scouts keep charting Orlando City SC striker during international break
Orlando City SC striker Duncan McGuire has just started in the U.S. U-23 National Team, facing Japan in a friendly way.
He joined 24 other players for the game in Kansas City. The squad features team members from 21 different clubs, 10 from MLS.
McGuire’s performance will be key to his participation in the 2024 Olympics. The squad qualified after a solid showing in 2022 Concacaf.
He got his first call-up to the team in Oct. 2023. He had been on their scouts’ radar since his Creighton University performances. That also factored in his pick by Orlando in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. He was the sixth choice.
It also helped that McGuire as a rookie immediately impacted the Lions, scoring 15 goals across all competitions with 21 starts.
The reports from national team camps emphasize McGuire’s sharp movements and focus. These are skills that Orlando players have been drilling on intensely to get on track this MLS season.
So for McGuire to fulfill his dream of playing in a meaningful game for his national team, he’ll have to continue developing and practicing the qualities that will put his MLS team in post-season play this year.
But the national team and MLS aren’t the only ones with scouts watching and reporting on McGuire.
Earlier this year, media sources reported that a second deal to move McGuire to the Blackburn Rovers had fallen through. The striker had previously gotten on a flight to join the English Football League Championship team when he got word, passed through the team offices from the owners in India, that the finances weren’t there to finish the transfer.
Then, early this year, it looked like all the Is got dotted and Ts crossed. But the league said the deal was off because the paperwork wasn’t processed in time.
The team acknowledged an administrative error caused the processing problem. But it appealed the rejection. The league upheld the rejection. And that brings us to this international break.
The good news for McGuire and the National Time is that this is a player who contributes now. Yet his skills are still getting sharpened, and even increased.
That will be great news after this break with Orlando City SC when the team returns to MLS competition. All players performing at their greatest skill level will be necessary to make something out of this season.