27-Year-Old Veteran MLS Goalkeeper Signed as Orlando Homegrown Nine Years Ago
HERRIMAN, Utah (Wed., January 15, 2025) – Real Salt Lake has acquired veteran MLS goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar from Orlando City SC in exchange for $50,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM) and RSL’s natural second-round 2026 MLS SuperDraft pick. RSL also could owe Orlando up to $150,000 in future GAM if certain performance-based metrics are met prior to the conclusion of the 2028 MLS season.
“I’m super-excited and grateful for the opportunity that (RSL CSO) Kurt Schmid and (Head Coach) Pablo Mastroeni are giving me here, and I’m looking forward to getting to work and making the most of the 2025 season,” said Stajduhar upon arrival at the Zions Bank Training Center earlier this morning, fresh off the plane from Orlando. “RSL has a reputation as a very well-run organization, one with a family atmosphere, clearly a perennially-successful Club. RSL had a good season last year, I’m looking forward to contributing to an even better year in 2025.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to compete every day and show what I can do to help the team win in any way possible. This is actually MLS season number 10 for me, everything is feeling good with body and mind, I cannot wait to get back into full swing, hitting the field fully very, very soon.”
“My youth coach knows (RSL goalkeeping coach) Mirza Harambasic very well, I’ve known him since 2016 in his Connecticut days, he’s a great coach and I can’t wait to pick his brain, improve my craft daily, totally looking forward to learning from him. I like to be aggressive and proactive in my position. I look to do things the right way, to make the hard things look easy – instead of the other way around!
“CONCACAF is an exciting opportunity this year for RSL – I was able to experience that two years ago in Orlando, and I also played in Champions League last year – its always a new and different experience, traveling to different places, playing teams you’ve rarely or never seen, ultimately playing for a prestigious trophy that hopefully the Club can add to the cabinet.”
Born on Dec. 2, 1997, Stajduhar (pronounced “STYE – doo – harr”) served as Orlando City’s longest-tenured player, joining the club’s first team from the Orlando City Academy at the end of 2015. During his tenure at OCSC, the goalkeeper – a member of the club’s 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship team – was coached at various junctures with current RSL assistant coach Anthony Pulis and front-office executive Jason Kreis during their time with the Lions. Stajduhar made 22 first-team starts for Orlando, with 65 saves and nine victories overall, keeping three clean sheets in various competitions. Stajduhar also recorded the Club’s first-ever assist from a goalkeeper, assisting on Duncan McGuire’s goal against Toronto FC on Decision Day 2023.
Throughout other various stints as professional, Stajduhar also was sent on loan from Orlando City to Louisville City (USL), Tulsa Roughnecks (USL) and New York City FC (MLS), while also appearing in various USL and MLS NEXT Pro matches for Orlando, totaling 41 professional starts across multiple leagues and tournaments.
On June 22, 2024, Stajduhar established a new Orlando City club record with 11 saves in a single match, helping the Lions down the Chicago Fire, 4-2. A week later, Stajduhar’s season was ended when his lower right leg suffered multiple fractures in a collision against New York City FC.
Back in late 2017, at age 20, Stajduhar was diagnosed with localized Ewing sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, as team doctors had discovered a cancerous lesion during a routine exam. Stajduhar continued to train throughout six months of chemotherapy, completing the treatments and recovering fully to overcome the health scare, returning to full-time action with Orlando City just seven month later, in June, 2018.
TRANSACTION: Real Salt Lake acquires GK Mason Stajduhar from Orlando City SC in exchange for $50,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM) and a second-round 2026 MLS SuperDraft pick, and up to $150,000 in future GAM if certain performance-based metrics are met prior to the conclusion of the 2028 MLS season.
Real Salt Lake continues its 21st preseason in Herriman this week at the Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, prior to next Thursday’s departure for the Santa Barbara, Calif., portion of training camp. The Claret-and-Cobalt are now preparing for its fourth-ever CONCACAF Champions Cup foray, paired with Costa Rican side CS Herediano away on Wed., Feb. 19, with the return leg at America First Field in Sandy, Utah, one week later on Wed., Feb. 26 (6:30p MT kickoff). RSL opens the 2025 MLS campaign – its 21st – away at San Jose Earthquakes on Sat., Feb. 22, with RSL’s 2025 MLS home opener set for Sat., March 1 against long-time rival Seattle Sounders FC.
Tickets and information for both competitions can be accessed at www.RSL.com/tickets.
# __ – Mason Stajduhar
Pronunciation: STYE – doo – harr
Position: Goalkeeper
Hometown: Salem, Massachussetts
College: n/a
Date of Birth: 2 December 1997 (27)
Nationality: American
How Acquired: Via permanent transfer from Orlando City SC (Major League Soccer) on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2024, in exchange for $50,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money and a second-round 2026 MLS SuperDraft draft pick, and up to as much as $150,000 in future General Allocation Money if certain performance-based metrics are met prior to the conclusion of the 2028 MLS season.
