PawedCast Episode 332: Duncan McGuire Interview, Philly Rewind, Pride-Thorns, OCB’s Opener, and More

We’re in our final week at SBNation and although we’re thankful for all they’ve done for our website and our podcast, we are excited about striking out on our own new adventure. We start this week’s show with an update on our upcoming Independence Day and this podcast has already moved out from under the SBN umbrella as part of that. We also thank a new Founder and put out a plea to those who have not yet emailed us after donating to our GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign to let us know if we are supposed to include your name on the new site or not.

Orlando City went on the road without some key players and faced the always-tough Philadelphia Union (also missing some key players) and the Lions managed to snap Philly’s 24-match home unbeaten run. It was an impressive streak but Martin Ojeda’s early goal and assist, and some stalwart defending, combined to give the Lions a critical road victory. We break down the match and discuss Ojeda’s inclusion on the MLS Team of the Matchday (that phrase is never going to sound good).

After that, we welcomed Orlando rookie forward Duncan McGuire to the show to answer our questions and catch us up on his soccer journey as he learns the pro game. Duncan was also kind enough to answer questions from our Founders and a lot of you were interested in his backflip celebration! Big thanks to Duncan for taking some time out for us.

The Orlando Pride opened their season and things did not go well for Seb Hines’ team as the Portland Thorns bullied their way to an easy 4-0 win. The Pride had a tough opening assignment and there aren’t many tougher ones, so it’ll be interesting to see how the team bounces back. A response is crucial in the home opener this weekend against Angel City.

We also discussed the Pride’s new local TV deal and our plan to announce our new Orlando Pride podcast and unveil the logo within the next week. Then it’s just a matter of getting it set up and actually recording shows.

OCB also kicked off the 2023 season and the Young Lions had a successful business trip to Philadelphia, beating Union II by a 3-1 scoreline, despite few people getting to see it due to issues with the MLS NEXT Pro stream. Where were those glitches in some of those lopsided losses a year ago?

Plus, the USMNT and forward Daryl Dike returned to Exploria Stadium Monday night for Concacaf Nations League play. We covered that match and it could have been a bit more aesthetically pleasing, but at least the Yanks won and advanced to the semifinals.

This week’s mailbagbox was chock full on the email side, but light on the Twitter side, so it balanced out. If there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the next show, just ask by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC.

Finally, we looked ahead to Saturday night’s game vs. Nashville, complete with our key match-ups and predictions.

Stay safe and enjoy the show!

Here’s how No. 332 went down:

0:15 – The Lions picked up their first road victory of the season and it was only at the toughest place in the league to win for the traveling side. Our breakdown of a big win in Philly.

34:22 – Duncan McGuire jumps in and tells us all about that backflip, transitioning to the professional game, where he’s gotten help from on the team, and much more.

50:21 – The Pride got pounded, OCB won by multiple goals, the USMNT won again in Orlando, and our key match-ups and predictions.