| Mason Stajduhar | |
| Fullname: | Mason James Stajduhar[1] |
| Birth Date: | 2 December 1997 |
| Birth Place: | Salem, Massachusetts, United States |
| Height: | 6ft 2in[2] |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
| Currentclub: | Orlando City |
| Clubnumber: | 31 |
| Youthyears1: | 2013–2015 |
| Youthclubs1: | Orlando City |
| Years1: | 2016– |
| Clubs1: | Orlando City |
| Caps1: | 16 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2017–2023 |
| Clubs2: | Orlando City B |
| Caps2: | 9 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2016 |
| Clubs3: | → Louisville City (loan) |
| Caps3: | 0 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2019 |
| Clubs4: | → Tulsa Roughnecks (loan) |
| Caps4: | 17 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 2020 |
| Clubs5: | → New York City FC (loan) |
| Caps5: | 0 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Pcupdate: | 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.
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]
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.
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]
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]
| 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[24] | 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 | |||
Orlando City