Orlando City sign defender Rodrigo Schlegel to new contract

Orlando City have signed Argentine defender Rodrigo Schlegel to a new contract, the club announced Wednesday.

Schlegel has signed a two-year deal through the 2024 MLS season with club options on 2025 and 2026.

"Rodrigo has continually proven himself an invaluable member of our Club, both on the field and off," Orlando City SC executive vice president of soccer operations and general manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release.

"He’s engrained himself into our team from the very beginning of his time with us with an incredible work ethic and dedication to achieving the team’s goals. He’s been a vital part of our culture and project here in Orlando and we’re so happy to have him here for the years to come."

Schlegel originally joined the Lions ahead of the 2020 season having started out with Argentine top-flight side Racing Club. Since then, he's made 72 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals and helping Orlando lift the 2022 US Open Cup - sealing Concacaf Champions League qualification for the first time in the process.

Primarily a center-back, Schlegel's most iconic moment for Orlando so far actually came as a goalkeeper, when the 25-year-old covered for the red-carded Pedro Gallese during a 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs win over NYCFC.

Schlegel played the whole of extra-time as a goalkeeper and even helped the Lions win the shootout, sealing their first-ever Playoffs victory in Major League Soccer.