Orlando City
Orlando City Trades Goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar to Real Salt Lake
The Homegrown goalkeeper and longest-tenured Lion is on his way to Utah in exchange for some GAM.
Well, this wasn’t the transfer news we were looking for out of Orlando City. The club announced today that Homegrown goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar is on his way to Real Salt Lake in exchange for $50,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM). RSL is also sending Orlando City its natural second-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft in the deal. If Stajduhar meets certain performance metrics, the deal could bring in up to $150,000 in additional GAM. Stajduhar’s trade to Real Salt Lake ends the longest continuous career in Orlando City’s history.
“Mason has been a part of this club since the early days and, like our club, has grown greatly over those years,” said Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “We want to thank him for his dedication over these last 10 years and, more importantly, for his trust in us and in the development pathway that we have here in Orlando. We wish him the best moving forward in his career.”
Stajduhar, 27, was signed as the club’s fourth-ever Homegrown Player on Nov. 9, 2015, joining the first team right after the team’s inaugural MLS season out of the U.S. Soccer Development Program. He had previously appeared with the club’s U-16, U-18 and U-23 academy teams over two seasons prior to signing his Homegrown Player contract. He was named to the U-18 USSDA Best XI team by U.S. Soccer for his 2015 season. The club initially declined Stajduhar’s option after the 2019 season but signed a new one-year deal on Nov. 27, 2019, ahead of 2020. The deal included options for additional seasons. He was then loaned to New York City FC as an emergency backup for the 2020 Concacaf Champions League game at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, dressing as the backup to Luis Barraza in a 4-0 loss to Tigres out of Liga MX.
Following the 2021 season, in which he saw his role as the primary backup to Pedro Gallese begin to develop, Stajduhar had his contract option exercised to keep him on the roster through 2022. He then inked a new three-year contract with the club in June of that year designed to keep him in purple and gold through at least 2025, with a club option for 2026.
Stajduhar did not appear in an MLS match until the 2021 season after loan stints to Louisville City (during which he did not play) and the Tulsa Roughnecks, with whom he made his professional debut on March 29, 2019 in a 2-1 win over the Rio Grande Valley Toros. The delay in his debut was due in large part to his 2017 cancer diagnosis. Stajduhar underwent treatment for Localized Ewing Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, which put his soccer career on hold through the 2018 season.
His first start and MLS debut came in a 3-2 comeback home win over Atlanta United on July 30, 2021. Stajduhar could hardly be blamed for the Lions falling behind 1-0 just 47 seconds into the game on a cannon shot by Josef Martinez off the right post and in or the Marcelino Moreno Goal of the Week candidate-type shot in the 66th minute. Nani’s 87th-minute goal gave Stajduhar his first win six seasons into his pro career.
The native of Salem, MA, finishes his Orlando City career with 22 starts, 65 saves, nine wins, and three shutouts. He also became the first goalkeeper for the Lions to record an assist, notching a helper with a well-placed long ball to set up Duncan McGuire’s wondergoal on the road against Toronto on Oct. 21, 2023. It was the game-winning goal as the Lions claimed a 2-0 victory at BMO Field.
Stajduhar is coming off a productive season, tying his career highs in appearances (5) and starts (5) in 2024, but a short outing in the last of those five resulted in his second-most minutes in regular-season play (389). He made a career-high 21 saves and went 2-2-1 with a clean sheet and a 1.60 goals-against average. He was playing some of his best soccer as a professional, but his final season in purple came to an end due to a nasty injury he sustained on June 28, 2024 at New York City FC in a 4-2 loss, although the score was secondary to what happened in the 17th minute.
On an obviously offside play, the assistant referee kept his flag down, as is customary in the age of video review. However, because the play was still live, Stajduhar came charging out to try to prevent a breakaway by Malachi Jones. The two players collided heavily as they met at the ball. Both had their season end in that moment, requiring surgery to repair the broken tibias and fibulas of both men. Stajduhar took the loss, although the score was only 1-0 at the time he departed and was replaced by Javier Otero, who made his MLS debut.
For his 2024 season, The Mane Land staff gave Stajduhar a 7 out of 10 rating — his highest end-of-season grade in his time in Orlando.
The goalkeeper leaves after making a total of 22 starts for the Lions (16 in the regular season), making 65 saves, winning nine matches in all competitions, and keeping three clean sheets.
What It Means for Orlando City
Stajduhar’s departure opens the door for fellow Homegrown Player Otero to become the primary backup. Otero, 22, signed as a Homegrown Player on July 10, 2023, after starring in MLS NEXT Pro for OCB. The Venezuelan international, who has been called up by his national team for Saturday’s friendly against the United States, dressed every game for Orlando City following Stajduhar’s season-ending injury, backing up Pedro Gallese.
Unless Orlando brings in a new goalkeeper, Otero will be Gallese’s primary backup in 2025. Depth behind Otero is a bit thin. After last season, the club parted ways with Carlos Mercado, who was the primary starter for Orlando City B in 2024. It seems likely that Orlando City will add a goalkeeper, but whether that player is in front of or behind Otero in the pecking order remains to be seen, and that battle will likely have to take place in training.
The loss of Stajduhar will no doubt be a blow to fans who have become fond of the Homegrown over the years, as he has managed to stick around through multiple coaches. He has provided some great moments for the club — including winning a penalty shootout against Inter Miami with a save against Bryce Duke as part of the club’s 2022 U.S. Open Cup championship run — overcame a deadly disease, grew up from a teenager into a young man before our eyes, and even proposed to his girlfriend (now wife) on the pitch after helping Orlando City beat the Philadelphia 2-1 at home in U.S. Open Cup play on May 10, 2022.
The sentimental attachment aside, the move simply means Orlando City will need a depth goalkeeper — one the club trusts to go out and win a game (or games) when Gallese isn’t available. Whether that’s Otero or someone else remains to be determined.
With Stajduhar’s departure, Kyle Smith takes over as the longest tenured Orlando City player, having joined the club in December of 2018.
Keith Winchester
January 15, 2025 at 5:41 pm
That’s a disappointing shame to see him go, not only is he the last original Lion, but I liked him better than Galesse by a country mile. As a former pro goalkeeper myself his only problem was not getting enough playtime, but his skills were developing very well, he’s quick and decisive off the line most of the time sometimes a little too quickly but that comes with maturity he was developing and he lays down on one on one’s, unlike Gallese who comes off the line a bit, leaves big target and stands up like a tree to be burned and in fact that aggressive play ended up injuring Mason, but he’s fearless and that’s why he was injured but a necessary trait in a keeper that I was watching even Gallese begin to emulate. His downfield kicks and throws are unparalleled IMO, I watched him throw a soccer ball 60 yards and like a dart, his heart and spirit are unmatched most likely due to the life’s drama’s he’s gone through, and best of all he’s young, a home grown product and requires no DP status that could be used to bring in some serious field player to use the money Gallese is taking up, there are plenty of homegrown keepers like Mason that can do the job and promote local players I was hoping he would eventually take Gallese’s place. Nearly every shot Mason had to face when he played was shots Gallese never saw and not many keepers could have ever saved either, most times it was about rhythm between him and the defense and that only comes with game playing time not just practicing.
Mason wish you all the best success, sad to see you go also a seemingly upstanding young man but if you get more playing time with Real you deserve it and the story, with so much praise, is puzzling as to why you were not re-signed unless that was your choice due to a better offer but in the end I hope it works out for you.
Michael Citro
January 15, 2025 at 9:29 pm
Not sure what you mean by “puzzling you were not re-signed.” He was under contract through 2025 with a club option for 2026. There would have been no need to re-sign him until next year.