2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Robin Jansson

Orlando City signed Robin Jansson all the way back in early March of 2019. Although we knew he should be a solid option when he arrived, few could have predicted just how astute of a signing he would turn out to be. The Swede promptly nailed down a starting spot that he’s refused to relinquish when healthy, and the club’s captain is also one of its longest-tenured players alongside Kyle Smith and Mason Stajduhar. The team recognized his efforts with a new contract before the 2024 season which will keep him here through the end of the 2025 season and also has an option for 2026.

Let’s take a look at the Beefy Swede’s 2024 season.

Statistical Breakdown

Jansson played in 30 regular-season games, starting all 30 and totaling 2,662 minutes. His totals for appearances, starts, and minutes played were all the second-most in his Orlando City career, behind only the 2023 season. He scored one goal and provided one assist, with the assist matching his career high of one. He completed four dribbles, took seven shots and put two of them on target. Jansson also attempted a career-high 1,691 passes and completed a career-high1,476 of them for a passing accuracy of 87.3%. His four key passes tied the second-best mark of his career, and while he did not complete a cross, he did connect on 73 long balls. Defensively, he recorded 20 tackles, 31 interceptions, 91 clearances, 23 blocks, and 20 aerial duels won. He committed 13 fouls, drew 37 fouls — a number that was easily a career high — and was booked eight times (all yellow cards).

In the playoffs, Jansson started all five of Orlando City’s matches and played each of the 450 minutes available. He did not have a goal contribution, putting one of his two shots on target. He passed at a higher rate than the regular season, connecting on 89.9% of the passes that he played. He provided one key pass, which was a career playoff high, and also connected on nine long balls. Defensively, he had three tackles, seven interceptions, 12 clearances, and four blocks. He committed two fouls, drew five on the opposition, and picked up two more yellow cards.

Jansson played in three of the team’s Concacaf Champions Cup matches and played the full 270 minutes available. He did not have a goal contribution but put one of his two shots on target. He completed 84.5% of his passes and completed a key pass. On defense he logged six interceptions and 12 clearances. He committed three fouls without being booked and drew four on his opponents.

The defender also started three matches in Leagues Cup, totaling 225 minutes on the field. He did not have any goal contributions but took one shot and put it on target. He passed with 91% accuracy and completed one cross and eight long balls. On defense he chipped in two tackles, five interceptions, six clearances, and a block. Jansson also committed two fouls, picked up one yellow card, and drew two fouls from the opposition.

Best Game

As is typical for him, Jansson had good defensive outings on multiple different occasions. For the captain’s best game of 2024, I went with the one in which he scored his lone goal of the season — the 5-0 home shellacking of D.C. United on July 6. Jansson started, played 77 minutes, and scored a goal on his lone shot of the game to help the Lions beat the brakes off visiting D.C. His 97% passing accuracy was outstanding for a guy who played the full 90, and he even completed a season-high two dribbles. On the defensive side of the pitch, he recorded one tackle, one interception, one block, one aerial duel won, and three clearances. He also drew one foul while not committing any of his own.

Jansson’s goal came in the 23rd minute with Orlando already leading courtesy of a great first-time Martin Ojeda strike just a few minutes earlier. After a corner kick, the ball found its way to Wilder Cartagena out wide. The Peruvian then completed one of the most unlikely connections of the year, as he whipped in a great ball, which Jansson headed past Tyler Miller with authority to double the Lions’ advantage.

Fittingly enough, our own Andrew DeSalvo named Jansson the Man of the Match in his Player Grades piece, while awarding him a grade of 9 out of 10 for a performance that came very close to being perfect. Perhaps the only knocks against him are that he didn’t score a second goal when given a good opportunity to do so, and the fact that he didn’t go the full 90 minutes, as he was withdrawn when OCSC held a comfortable 4-0 lead.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff awarded Jansson a composite grade of 7.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season. That’s a half point lower than the 8 that he received during 2023, which was the highest he’s been graded during his time with Orlando City. He was given a 6.5 during his maiden voyage in 2019 and then alternated between 7 and 7.5, with a 7 in 2020, a 7.5 in 2021, and another 7 in 2022. While he graded a little lower than last year, it was by no means a bad season, and some of that decrease can be attributed to Orlando’s defense as a whole having a less effective year than in 2023 — giving up 50 goals as opposed to 39.

2025 Outlook

As mentioned earlier, Jansson is under contract through the end of the 2025 season and has an option for 2026. Add in the fact that he’s the club captain and all-time leader in appearances, and it would take something truly unexpected for him to not be back in purple next season.

He also remains a lock to be one of the team’s two starting center backs, and based on his performances in 2024, there isn’t any reason to believe that will change in 2023. David Brekalo will have a chance to prove himself with the benefit of a full off-season and preseason under his belt, but if anyone is going to lose their place to the Slovenian international, then the smart money is probably on Rodrigo Schlegel.

On defense, there aren’t any areas of Jansson’s game that are crying out for immediate attention, and he continues to be a guy who does most everything well, and some things at a very high level. At 33, his speed will be something to keep an eye on, but at the moment, he remains capable of tracking back and making timely interceptions and clearances. At 6-foot-2, it would be nice for him to offer more of a goal threat from set pieces, but that isn’t likely to change at this stage of his career.

At the end of the day, he remains a great player for this team, and his will be one of the first names on the team sheet until his abilities start to fade.

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)
• Duncan McGuire (12/26/24)