Welcome to the final Friday of 2024! The weird limbo week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve rolls on as we get ready for the weekend. Looking back at my resolutions from last year, I wasn’t able to hit my reading goal, but did get a cat like I’ve always wanted. It’s the last time I’ll be bringing you links this year, so let’s dive right in!

Yazmeen Ryan Reportedly Headed to Houston

The Houston Dash are reportedly sending $400,000 to NJ/NY Gotham FC in exchange for versatile attacker Yazmeen Ryan. That hefty fee would be a league record when it comes to internal league trades. Ryan was a regular starter for Gotham this year and recorded five assists and five goals. The 25-year-old also made her debut with the United States Women’s National Team this year. While $400,000 is quite the price to pay, the Dash need plenty of help after finishing last in the NWSL this past season.

Reviewing the USWNT’s 2024

It was a year of highs and lows for the USWNT, but things are looking pretty up for the team heading into 2025. It feels like forever ago that the team lost to Mexico in the Concacaf W Gold Cup, a result that called attention to the amount of work needed before the Olympics. It didn’t take long for Head Coach Emma Hayes to bring success, as she made tough decisions on who to bring to Paris and guided the team to a gold medal. Center back Naomi Girma proved why she was one of the best defenders on the planet and the forward line of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson ushered in a new era for the USWNT. That being said, it will be weird not having veterans like Alyssa Naeher, Alex Morgan, or Becky Sauerbrunn playing for the USWNT next year.

Grading EPL Boxing Day Performances

There was plenty of action in the English Premier League for this year’s Boxing Day and each team was graded for its performance. Manchester City got a D following its 1-1 draw against Everton, with Erling Haaland missing a penalty. Things didn’t go any better for Manchester United, which received an F for losing 2-0 to Wolverhampton in a match that included a red card to Bruno Fernandes and an Olimpico from Matheus Cunha. Chelsea was also given an F after conceding a pair of late goals in a 2-1 loss to Fulham. Top marks went to Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. Forest held on for a 1-0 victory against Tottenham while Newcastle cruised to a 3-0 win over Aston Villa. Newcastle’s day was made easier by Jhon Duran being sent off in the first half after using Fabian Schar as a doormat.

Spectator Arrested for Alleged Racism in Scotland

A supporter was arrested for allegedly racially abusing Jordan Obita in Thursday’s match between rivals Hibernian and Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. Obita, who was a substitute for Hibernian to help see out the team’s win, received abuse from the spectator and that person was ejected from the stadium and then arrested. Hibernian thanked Hearts for the swift action in dealing with the supporter. Racism has no place in soccer or anywhere else, and it’s nice to see such an immediate and strong response from a club to help stamp it out.

Free Kicks

• ESPN named its top players, teams, and moments from 2024. I personally think the Orlando Pride got snubbed for Women’s Team of the Year, which went to Barcelona, but I’m admittedly biased.
• Americans Griffin Yow and Bryan Reynolds starred in Westerlo’s match against Club Brugge, with Yow scoring a goal and Reynolds providing two assists.
• Arsenal is reportedly interested in signing aforementioned Wolves forward Matheus Cunha. While I think he would bring a major boost to Arsenal’s title hopes, I can’t see Wolves letting him go for anything other than a king’s ransom amid their relegation fight.
• You may have to squint a bit due to the fog, but Paul Mullin scored quite the goal for Wrexham in a 2-1 win over Blackpool.

That’s all I have for you this time around, Mane Landers. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your year. I’ll see you all in 2025!

Orlando City selected Duncan McGuire with the No. 6 overall selection in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. He then cemented the starting role in his rookie season, earning a look from Blackburn Rovers in the off-season. He literally flew to England to sign with the club, only to have Rovers mess up the paperwork.

Orlando City welcomed him back with open arms, and McGuire dedicated himself to doing his best for the Lions, earning a new contract through 2027. He was the starter for most of the season until he left for the Olympics with the USMNT. When he returned, Ramiro Enrique had taken over the starting spot. Oscar Pareja sticks with a lineup if it’s working, and McGuire was moved to the bench.

McGuire never let it get to him, as he accepted his role in the second half of the season. He never gave less than 100% effort, including in the playoffs when he earned a penalty in the 97th minute against Charlotte that helped extend Orlando City’s playoff run.

Let’s take a look at how McGuire performed during the 2024 MLS season.

Statistical Breakdown

McGuire made 27 appearances in regular-season matches, starting 18 times and recording 1,599 minutes played. He finished second on the team with 10 goals, adding three assists. McGuire put 20 of his 42 shots on target and completed 239 of his 314 passes (76.1%), including 14 key passes and three successful long balls but no completed crosses. Defensively, McGuire won 30.3% of his 99 aerial duels, and tallied eight tackles, four interceptions, one block, and five clearances. He committed 15 fouls, suffered 18, and was booked seven times in his 27 games (all yellow cards).

The striker also appeared in all five MLS playoff games with all of his appearances off the bench, recording 138 minutes. He did not record a goal contribution, attempting three shots with none on target. The Creighton product completed 31 of his 36 passes (86.1%), including two key passes and one successful cross. Defensively, McGuire contributed an interception, a clearance, and a block. He did not commit a foul, but he suffered two fouls, including the one shown above that led to a late penalty in Game 3 of the Charlotte series, and he was not booked in the postseason. 

McGuire appeared in three of the Lions’ four Concacaf Champions Cup games, starting the first one, and playing 112 minutes. He scored one goal on four shots, with one on target, but did not record an assist. He completed an impressive 91% of his passes, including four key passes, but he did not complete a long ball or a cross. He did not commit a foul, suffered one, and was not booked.

McGuire played in two of the three Leagues Cup games — both as a substitute — and recorded 26 minutes without a goal contribution. He put his lone shot attempt on target and completed seven of his nine passes (77.8%), including one long ball, but he did not log a key pass or a successful cross. Defensively, he chipped in nine tackles and two clearances in the competition. He committed one foul, did not draw one on the competition, and was not booked.

Best Game

McGuire’s best game came early in the season in the Lions’ 3-2 loss to Minnesota United. Big Dunc provided both of Orlando City’s goals, including the fastest goal in Orlando City history, finding the net just seconds after kickoff.

After Orlando City conceded two goals to the Loons, McGuire equalized for the Lions late in the second half. He took an excellent pass from Martin Ojeda and sliced his shot past a defender and the keeper inside the left post.

McGuire stated the match, played 87 minutes, took four shots with three on target, and scored the aforementioned brace. He completed 21 of his 27 passes (77.8%), including one key pass, committed one foul, suffered two fouls, and was not booked. 

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave McGuire a composite grade of 7 out of 10 for the 2024 MLS season. It’s a notch below the grade of 7.5 the staff gave him for his 2023 campaign. While it was hardly his fault Enrique seized the starting spot in his absence, McGuire played about 200 more minutes in 2024 and scored fewer goals. It’s fair to say coming off the bench down the stretch may have prevented some opportunities, as he was often part of protecting a late lead or simply wasn’t able to get into the rhythm of the match, and it’s impossible to say how starting may have changed his numbers or the fortunes of the team, but it’s hard to argue with Pareja’s decision, considering the team climbed to fourth place down the stretch with a strong run.

2025 Outlook

We know exactly how McGuire will start the 2025 season — on the injured list. McGuire is out four to five months recovering the shoulder surgery he underwent following his playoff injury. We’re unlikely to see him on the field before the end of April at the earliest, as a four-month timeline would only put him back on the training pitch by mid-April, and he’d have to still get into match shape. His return will most likely be delayed until May or possibly even the beginning of June, depending on his recovery speed. There is plenty of uncertainty with the Orlando City attack as of this writing due to the club’s sale of Facundo Torres to Palmeiras. There are, after all, several options for the club to replace Torres’ attacking numbers, and that could impact things at the top of the formation. Regardless of who the Lions sign, McGuire won’t be guaranteed a starting spot once he’s fit. He has shown he has the tools and the desire to play and to contribute at a high level as a starter, but he’ll have to beat out Enrique and potentially a new striker addition once he returns from injury.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

• Alex Freeman (12/5/24)
• Michael Halliday (12/6/24)
• Yutaro Tsukada (12/7/24)
• Mason Stajduhar (12/8/24)
• Javier Otero (12/9/24)
• Jack Lynn (12/11/24)
• Shakur Mohammed (12/12/24)
• Luis Muriel (12/13/24)
• David Brekalo (12/14/24)
• Facundo Torres (12/14/24)
• Rodrigo Schlegel (12/15/24)
• Rafael Santos (12/16/24)
• Kyle Smith (12/17/24)
• Martín Ojeda (12/18/24)
• Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (12/19/24)
• Nico Lodeiro (12/20/24)
• Ramiro Enrique (12/21/24)
• Wilder Cartagena (12/22/24)
• Ivan Angulo (12/23/24)

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope all who celebrate it had a nice Christmas without any major incidents and plenty of fun with friends and family. If you’re celebrating other holidays, hopefully your Hannukah is off to a great start or you’ve been waiting for Kwanzaa, it’s finally here, so enjoy! There’s officially less than a week left in the year, and I, for one, can’t wait to bid farewell to 2024. Let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City’s Joran Gerbet Included Among Top College Players

Top Drawer Soccer handed out accolades following the college soccer season and Orlando City draft pick Joran Gerbet was named to its Best XI second team. The Lions selected him in the first round of the draft and it’s nice to see him earn some recognition after a solid senior season with Clemson. Gerbet also ranked 17th in Top Drawer Soccer‘s top 100 players from the past season. Denver midfielder Sam Bassett, who was not eligible for the MLS SuperDraft, claimed the top spot and was named Player of the Year as well. Freshman of the Year went to Ransford Gyan, who was Gerbet’s teammate in Clemson’s midfield.

Pierre Da Silva Signs With Cusco FC

Former Lion Pierre Da Silva is plying his trade in Peru these days and has signed with Cusco FC in the country’s top flight. Da Silva, who was primarily an OCB player but made three first-team appearances, hasn’t been with Orlando City since 2019, when he and the club agreed to part ways that summer. The winger then went on to join Memphis 901, Miami FC, and Forward Madison before heading to Peru to join Universidad César Vallejo this year. His club was relegated, but he will remain in Liga 1 with a Cusco team that qualified for the Copa Sudamericana. It’s always nice to get an update on what a former Lion is up to these days, and hopefully his second year in Peru goes better than his first.

Chicago Fire Terminate Gaston Gimenez’s Contract

Midfielder Gaston Gimenez is no longer with the Chicago Fire after he and the club mutually agreed to terminate his contract. Gimenez has been with the Fire since joining the club in 2020, and this move opens up a Designated Player spot for the Fire as well. It will be a needed fresh start of sorts for the Fire, as they hired Gregg Berhalter as head coach this off-season. The Fire finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and only scored 40 goals in 2024, so being able to add some firepower is useful for Chicago to prepare for 2025.

Diving Into Club Color Origins

If you’ve ever wanted to know the soccer equivalent to “How the Leopard Got Its Spots,” ESPN provided a cool guide that explores the origins behind club colors from around the world. It’s filled with fun tidbits ranging from theories on why Corinthians swapped from beige to white to how Juventus was set to wear red jerseys with white trim, but a wrong order delivered the iconic black-and-white stripes instead. The interactive article lets you check out jerseys from each club over the years to see how they evolved. Maybe it’s the latent Christmas consumerism still in my veins, but I would love a coffee table book of this kind of content.

Free Kicks

• Valencia has hired Carlos Corberan from West Brom as its next head coach after firing Ruben Baraja earlier this week. The Spanish club is fighting to avoid relegation in La Liga with only 12 points from 17 matches this season.
• Sporting CP has reportedly fired Joao Pereira, with Rui Borges set to become the next head coach.

• We have plenty of Boxing Day action to enjoy today, but a few players spoke on the difficulties of training on Christmas or traveling with their teams rather than spending the holiday with their families.
• Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou bemoaned how the expanded UEFA Champions League is complicating the transfer window as he aims to bring in reinforcements.
• Oscar, who has spent the past eight seasons with Shanghai Port, is returning to Sao Paulo on a three-year contract. The 33-year-old started his professional career with Sao Paulo in 2008.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!