I’m down on one knee on the ground on the sideline at the Orlando City training grounds, shooting photos at the conclusion of another day of preseason camp. As a slew of players slowly trickle off the field, still standing near the penalty spot on the pitch is forward Duncan McGuire, striking shots at goal. “Wilder! Dame la pelota,” McGuire shouts at teammate Wilder Cartagena, who’s exiting the field as he turns around and kicks the ball back to McGuire. For McGuire, who’s entering his fourth year with Orlando City, this preseason was and has been a long time in the making — an uninterrupted one, he would think. Last year, the American forward missed all of preseason training camp to recover from shoulder surgery. The year before, nearly 10 days of the crucial part of the preseason when the team trained in Mexico were missed after a transfer to English club Blackburn Rovers fell through.With a full preseason with the Lions in full swing, the first since arriving as a draft pick from Creighton University in 2023, McGuire is looking forward to restoring his goal-scoring prowess after finding consistent strides this preseason camp. “I would definitely say that’s what came across my mind earlier is when last year I didn’t get a full preseason because I was injured, and then the year before, I was gone for about a week and a half just sitting in a hotel,” McGuire told WESH 2. “This is the first time in three years I get to experience a full preseason, and go through the spring of things, and just be with the group. It’s definitely a blessing, and definitely feels weird being here for a full preseason, but I’m excited.”McGuire, 25, finished the 2025 season with three goals in 18 games played amid an injury-ridden season that saw him undergo a second shoulder surgery in the middle of the season that kept him sidelined for several weeks. It’s a stark contrast to how his first two seasons with Orlando went, which saw the striker score double-digit goals. But ahead of the 2026 season and with the departures of Ramiro Enrique last summer and Luis Muriel this past offseason, McGuire theoretically remains as the team’s primary striker. But just because he remains as the team’s only natural forward on the roster doesn’t mean he’ll get the starting job — he knows that. “I know I can score goals and that I can help the team when I’m on the field,” McGuire recently told Orlando City writer Austin David. “I try not to look at it as being the only striker technically on the team. I’m just going to give it all I can to be that starting striker and to be the man this year.”And that’s where the expectations of McGuire fall. A longstanding problem for the Lions during the previous two seasons has been being able to execute on the final ball that doesn’t necessarily fall completely on him, but mostly every attacking player caught in a goalscoring opportunity. But for head coach Oscar Pareja, the responsibility being placed on McGuire may require patience, knowing it may take time for McGuire to regain his goal-scoring form. “We’re talking about individuals that have a bunch of things they need to do in order to get to the first level and Duncan is another one who came from a long injury and now he had a full preseason,” said Pareja. “We have to be patient because that position especially needs a lot of coordination with the other players cause in that position you have to be sharp in front of the goal.””Good news is that he’s healthy, and now I see his energy level become more frequent and the quality of his execution and cohesiveness with his teammates needs to become better sooner rather than later,” he added. The 2026 MLS regular season kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 21. Whether McGuire starts against the Red Bulls this weekend is unclear. What is certain is a 2026 preseason that’s in the books, and that could be what McGuire needs and possibly what the team wants coming from their fourth-year forward. “Having a full preseason where you train two times a day on most days, going to Mexico and training with the guys, seeing them every day is huge to connect with them on and off the field,” said McGuire. “Having this whole month for prep time with them is going to be huge to see how the connection can translate onto the field in the first game.” Mike Gramajo is an Assignment Editor and Sportswriter at WESH 2, who has covered the Orlando soccer scene since 2012. You can follow his coverage over on X and Instagram.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. —
I’m down on one knee on the ground on the sideline at the Orlando City training grounds, shooting photos at the conclusion of another day of preseason camp.
As a slew of players slowly trickle off the field, still standing near the penalty spot on the pitch is forward Duncan McGuire, striking shots at goal.
“Wilder! Dame la pelota,” McGuire shouts at teammate Wilder Cartagena, who’s exiting the field as he turns around and kicks the ball back to McGuire.
For McGuire, who’s entering his fourth year with Orlando City, this preseason was and has been a long time in the making — an uninterrupted one, he would think.
Last year, the American forward missed all of preseason training camp to recover from shoulder surgery. The year before, nearly 10 days of the crucial part of the preseason when the team trained in Mexico were missed after a transfer to English club Blackburn Rovers fell through.
With a full preseason with the Lions in full swing, the first since arriving as a draft pick from Creighton University in 2023, McGuire is looking forward to restoring his goal-scoring prowess after finding consistent strides this preseason camp.
“I would definitely say that’s what came across my mind earlier is when last year I didn’t get a full preseason because I was injured, and then the year before, I was gone for about a week and a half just sitting in a hotel,” McGuire told WESH 2. “This is the first time in three years I get to experience a full preseason, and go through the spring of things, and just be with the group. It’s definitely a blessing, and definitely feels weird being here for a full preseason, but I’m excited.”
McGuire, 25, finished the 2025 season with three goals in 18 games played amid an injury-ridden season that saw him undergo a second shoulder surgery in the middle of the season that kept him sidelined for several weeks.
It’s a stark contrast to how his first two seasons with Orlando went, which saw the striker score double-digit goals.
But ahead of the 2026 season and with the departures of Ramiro Enrique last summer and Luis Muriel this past offseason, McGuire theoretically remains as the team’s primary striker. But just because he remains as the team’s only natural forward on the roster doesn’t mean he’ll get the starting job — he knows that.
“I know I can score goals and that I can help the team when I’m on the field,” McGuire recently told Orlando City writer Austin David. “I try not to look at it as being the only striker technically on the team. I’m just going to give it all I can to be that starting striker and to be the man this year.”
And that’s where the expectations of McGuire fall.
A longstanding problem for the Lions during the previous two seasons has been being able to execute on the final ball that doesn’t necessarily fall completely on him, but mostly every attacking player caught in a goalscoring opportunity.
But for head coach Oscar Pareja, the responsibility being placed on McGuire may require patience, knowing it may take time for McGuire to regain his goal-scoring form.
“We’re talking about individuals that have a bunch of things they need to do in order to get to the first level and Duncan is another one who came from a long injury and now he had a full preseason,” said Pareja. “We have to be patient because that position especially needs a lot of coordination with the other players cause in that position you have to be sharp in front of the goal.”
“Good news is that he’s healthy, and now I see his energy level become more frequent and the quality of his execution and cohesiveness with his teammates needs to become better sooner rather than later,” he added.
The 2026 MLS regular season kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 21.
Whether McGuire starts against the Red Bulls this weekend is unclear. What is certain is a 2026 preseason that’s in the books, and that could be what McGuire needs and possibly what the team wants coming from their fourth-year forward.
“Having a full preseason where you train two times a day on most days, going to Mexico and training with the guys, seeing them every day is huge to connect with them on and off the field,” said McGuire. “Having this whole month for prep time with them is going to be huge to see how the connection can translate onto the field in the first game.”
Mike Gramajo is an Assignment Editor and Sportswriter at WESH 2, who has covered the Orlando soccer scene since 2012. You can follow his coverage over on X and Instagram.