Mason Stajduhar

Mason Stajduhar

Stajduhar in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Mason James Stajduhar [1]
Date of birth	(1997-12-02) December 2, 1997 (age 26)
Place of birth	Salem, Massachusetts, United States
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) [2]
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Orlando City
Number	31
Youth career
2013–2015	Orlando City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2016–	Orlando City	16	(0)
2017–2023	Orlando City B	9	(0)
2016	→ Louisville City (loan)	0	(0)
2019	→ Tulsa Roughnecks (loan)	17	(0)
2020	→ New York City FC (loan)	0	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of June 28, 2024

Mason James Stajduhar (born December 2, 1997) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Orlando City.

Career

Orlando City

On November 9, 2015, Orlando City announced the signing of Stajduhar to a Homegrown contract. He became the club's fourth homegrown player. ^[3] Prior to his signing, Stajduhar had been part of the club's U.S. Soccer Development Academy Program and was named to the under-18 USSDA East Conference Best XI. ^[4]

Stajduhar was loaned to USL side Louisville City on April 30, 2016, but didn't make an appearance for the club. ^[5]

Stajduhar was loaned out again on March 15, 2019, to USL Championship side Tulsa Roughnecks for their 2019 season. ^[6] He made his professional debut on March 29 in a 2–1 win over RGV Toros. ^[7] He was briefly recalled by Orlando City on June 24 owing to Greg Ranjitsingh's participation in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup and an injury to Adam Grinwis before returning to Tulsa in July. ^[8] In July 2019, Stajduhar was selected to take part in the MLS Homegrown Game. ^[9] Having had his original contract option declined at the end of the season, Stajduhar renegotiated a new one-year deal with Orlando ahead of the 2020 season. ^{[10] [11]}

On December 14, 2020, it was announced Stajduhar had signed for New York City FC on loan as an emergency backup goalkeeper with the team competing in the final stages of the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League being held at Orlando's Exploria Stadium. Regular starter Sean Johnson was not permitted to travel after being ruled a close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 while backup Brad Stuver left the club with his contract expiring that month. ^{[12] [13]} Stajduhar was an unused substitute behind usual third-string goalkeeper Luis Barraza as New York City lost 4–0 to Tigres UANL. ^[14]

On July 30, 2021, 2,090 days after signing his first senior contract with the club, Stajduhar made his Orlando City debut, starting in an MLS game against Atlanta United. He was credited with one save during the game but notably conceded a goal to Josef Martínez in the opening 47 seconds and a long-range goal from Marcelino Moreno during Orlando's come from behind 3–2 victory. ^{[15] [16]}

Season-ending injury

On June 28, 2024, in a match against New York City FC, Stajduhar broke his right tibia and fibula while challenging for the ball when he collided with NYCFC player Malachi Jones, who also suffered a broken tibia and fibula. The NYCFC attack in which the players were injured began when Jones received the ball when he was in an offside position before running towards goal with the ball, prompting Stajduhar to slide out of the penalty box to try and intercept him, and both players broke their right legs when they collided. ^[17] Orlando City teammate Dagur Dan Þórhallsson described how he heard a clicking sound when the players collided and then how he saw "his leg was just dangling" before going to the stands and closing his eyes. Stajduhar was replaced by Javier Otero, marking the goalkeeper's MLS debut, and required hospitalization. ^[18] Following the match Orlando City head coach Óscar Pareja criticized the current offsides rule saying that "they need to get better at this ruling" when the "offside is very obvious" in order to avoid unnecessary injuries like Stajduhar's. ^[19] Stajduhar's injuries resulted in him undergoing surgery and him being placed on the season-ending injury list. ^[17]

International

Stajduhar has represented the United States at under-18 and under-20 level. In 2015, Stajduhar joined the U20 squad for an international tournament in Germany. ^[20]

Personal life

On November 18, 2017, it was announced that Stajduhar had been diagnosed with localized Ewing sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, and had begun to undergo chemotherapy. Team doctors found a cancerous lesion during a routine exam. ^[21] Having continued to train throughout his treatment, Stajduhar completed his chemotherapy and returned to playing in full with Orlando City on June 20, 2018. ^[22]

On April 28, 2024, Stajduhar and his wife Tatiana were arrested on disorderly conduct charges after they allegedly refused to leave the Tier Nightclub in Downtown Orlando. Club bouncers alleged the pair were intoxicated and that they had yelled at a woman near the club entrance before the couple were removed. Stajduhar allegedly then tried to re-enter the club with him later claiming that the bouncers had struck Tatiana and he wanted to make sure that she was okay before the pair were handed over to Orlando Police Department officers and arrested, with Tatiana allegedly pushing an officer to the ground in the process. ^[23]

Career statistics

Club

As of June 28, 2024

Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Playoffs		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Orlando City	2016	Major League Soccer	0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
	2017		0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
	2018		0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
	2019		0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
	2020		0	0	—		—		—		0	0
	2021		5	0	—		1 [a]	0	—		6	0
	2022		2	0	3	0	—		—		5	0
	2023		4	0	1	0	—		—		5	0
	2024		5	0	—		1	0	—		6	0
	Total		16	0	4	0	2	0	0	0	22	0
Louisville City (loan)	2016	USL	0	0	0	0	—		0	0	0	0
Orlando City B	2017	USL	0	0	—		—		—		0	0
	2020	USL League One	3	0	—		—		—		3	0
	2022	MLS Next Pro	3	0	—		—		—		3	0
	2023		3	0	—		—		—		3	0
	Total		9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9	0
Tulsa Roughnecks (loan)	2019	USL Championship	17	0	1	0	—		—		18	0
Career total			41	0	5	0	2	0	0	0	48	0

1. Leagues Cup

Honors

Orlando City

• U.S. Open Cup: 2022

References

1. "2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup – Club roster: Orlando City SC (USA)" (PDF). CONCACAF. January 30, 2024. p. 19. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
2. "Mason Stajduhar". Orlando City SC. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
3. "Mason Stajduhar Becomes Fourth MLS Homegrown Player for Orlando City". Orlando City SC. November 9, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
4. "U.S. Soccer Development Academy". www.ussoccerda.com.
5. "NEWS: LOUCITY ADDS GK STAJDUHAR ON LOAN FROM ORLANDO CITY". Louisville City FC. April 30, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
6. "Orlando City SC Loans Mason Stajduhar To USL's Tulsa Roughnecks". Orlando City SC. March 15, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
7. World, John Tranchina For the Tulsa. "Roughnecks take control early, earn third win with 2-1 victory over Rio Grande Valley". Tulsa World.
8. "Orlando City SC Recalls Mason Stajduhar From Loan". www.orlandocitysc.com.
9. "Roster announced for 2019 MLS Homegrown Game". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer.
10. "Orlando City SC Announces 2019 End-of-Season Roster Decisions". Orlando City SC. November 21, 2019.
11. "Orlando City Re-Sign Alex De John, Mason Stajduhar to New Deals". www.orlandocitysc.com.
12. Smith, Christian A. (December 15, 2020). "Sean Johnson will not be available for CCL due to COVID-19 concerns". Hudson River Blue.
13. "Orlando City Goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar Loaned to NYCFC". www.orlandocitysc.com.
14. "New York City FC 0, Tigres UANL 4 Concacaf Champions League Recap". www.mlssoccer.com.
15. "ORLvsATL 07-30-2021". MLSsoccer.
16. Poe, Julia. "Orlando City muscles out rival Atlanta United in 3-2 victory". Orlando Sentinel.
17. "Orlando City SC goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar undergoes successful surgery". Orlando City SC . June 30, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
18. Gramajo, Mike (June 28, 2024). "Orlando goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar sent to hospital following injury". WESH . Retrieved June 29, 2024.
19. Gittins, William (June 29, 2024). "Horror injury to Mason Stajduhar raises questions about MLS guidelines". Diario AS . Retrieved June 29, 2024.
20. "Mason Stajduhar - Orlando City SC". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
21. "Orlando GK Mason Stajduhar begins treatment following bone cancer diagnosis". Major League Soccer. November 18, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
22. "Orlando Homegrown goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar completes cancer treatment". Major League Soccer. June 20, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
23. Caldwell, Brittany (May 1, 2024). "Orlando City soccer player, wife charged with disorderly conduct after downtown nightclub incident". WFTV . Retrieved June 29, 2024.

External links

• Mason Stajduhar at Soccerway.com
• Mason Stajduhar at WorldFootball.net
• Mason Stajduhar at FBref.com
• Mason Stajduhar at Major League Soccer
• Mason Stajduhar at AS.com (in Spanish)