The Orlando City forward is the only natural goalscorer in Marko Mitrovic's squad ahead of the 2024 Paris Games
Duncan McGuire couldn't stop smiling it when the call came in telling him he would be on the U.S. Men's Olympic squad.
"I wanted to jump up and down like a little kid," he admitted.
And it was a deserved acknowledgment. McGuire has been one of the best strikers in MLS for some time now, a bonafide goalscoring talent who puts in enough legwork to give opposing center backs nightmares for 90 minutes. He is industrious, strong, and clinical at all of the right moments.
As the rest of the squad trickled in, something became clear. McGuire might have been the obvious choice as a striker in the squad. But he is also the striker in the squad. U.S. U23 coach Marko Mitrovic has pieced together an interesting roster for the tournament, and is putting all of his goalscoring hopes on one forward.
Numerically, it makes little sense. He may only have 18 spots at his disposal – eight less than the total offered to coaches for Copa America and Euro 2024. But it is also a massive risk for Mitrovic to take just one forward – no matter how good he may be. And so as the U.S. heads into its first Olympics appearance since 2008, the hopes fall squarely on the shoulders of one man, who will have to make a squad selection game look like a stroke of genius.
Getty ImagesImpressing for Orlando
McGuire's career story is, in some senses, one of odds defied. After starring in the mid-tiers of the American club ciricut, the striker attended Creighton – buoyed by the fact that it was 20 minutes from his childhood home in Omaha. He was a bit-part player across first two college seasons, and exploded in the third by leading the nation in goals scored.
That all turned him from an unlikely pro prospect into a top 10 pick. Orlando snatched him at No. 6, and brought him straight into the first team. McGuire found the net on his debut, bundling one over the line to take a 1-0 lead in an eventual 1-1 draw with DC United.
He marked the goal with a backflip celebration – a sight that soon became familiar for fans across MLS. McGuire never really slowed down from there. He finished the season with 15 goals, making him Orlando's top scorer. His 18 goal contributions in all competitions were second to only Facundo Torres among Orlando players.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesSenior team experience
It only made sense, then, that the U.S. national team setup started to pay attention. Unlike most who get a look for the senior squad, McGuire was never a fixture among youth sides. His first proper appearance in U.S. colors, in fact, came in October 2023, when Mitrovic called him up to the U23 squad.
Of course, McGuire found the net in that window. He entered the fray in the 70th minute against Japan, and two minutes later, the backflip was on display again, McGuire bagging the fourth in a 4-1 win. That was enough for then-manager Gregg Berhalter to pay attention. He called McGuire up to the USMNT's senior camp in January. The head coach, who has since been sacked, pipped McGuire for success – despite having a rich slate of strikers to choose from.
"It was all about him and his play," Berhalter said shortly after announcing his squad. "He had a fantastic year with Orlando. He scored 15 goals, was a standout player, so he earned his call-up. It's great when players put themselves in positions to earn things like that. So far, he's looked good. I saw sharp movements behind the backline, inside the penalty box, and clever movements … he's made a good impression."
Chances at the top level were admittedly limited. A much-changed USMNT lost 1-0 to Slovenia in their only friendly of the window, with McGuire failing to make an impact in 30 minutes of play.
USA Today Sports Blackburn … or not?
There remained – and still remains – a sense that McGuire is destined for bigger things than MLS. He isn't quite the archetypal American soccer player. Strong, athletic, powerfully rotund, the striker is the exact type of No. 9 who could succeed in the English game – albeit not consistently in the top flight.
And he tested that theory in January 2024, in one of the strangest transfer sequences in recent memory. McGuire was reportedly within minutes of moving from Orlando to Blackburn. All of the pieces were in place. A fee had been agreed, personal terms were settled. McGuire was, in fact, 30,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean when the deal fell apart.
It then emerged that fellow Championship side Sheffield Wednesday might negotiate a move of their own. However, that also collapsed. Then, Blackburn came back in and negotiated a six-month loan with an option to buy. But an administrative error saw Blackburn fail to piece together the necessary paperwork in time. A subsequent appeal was denied by the English Football league, and McGuire was sent home.
GettyA limited pool
And so we arrive at the doorstep of the Paris Games, with McGuire at the forefront. The striker has continued to find the net for Orlando – albeit at a less impressive rate. Still, his seven goals in 19 MLS appearances so far are nothing to be sniffed at. They have all come with relatively limited service, too. McGuire is outperforming his expected goals, and Orlando have failed to create chances on a consistent basis to date.
That would seem to stand him in good stead ahead of the Olympics. Mitrovic has taken a real risk. McGuire is the only natural No. 9 in the squad, despite the fact that there were, in theory, other choices. Ricardo Pepi could have had a chance, but PSV decided against releasing the misfiring striker. Jesus Ferreira or even Haji Wright could have been added to the squad as overage options, but both of them were also left at home.
Mitrovic has insisted that McGuire isn't the only option through the middle.
"We played several games without a central forward," he told . "We know that there are several guys on our team that can play in the forward position. If there is a decision where Duncan doesn't play in any given moment on the field, then you have a replacement."
Those options don't exactly inspire confidence. Paxten Aaronson has operated as a false nine of sorts before, but never really settled. Taylor Booth could do a job – at a push. Kevin Paredes is a versatile option, but is certainly better used out wide.