Tag: Gabriel Slonina

USMNT goalkeeper Slonina joins KAS Eupen on loan from Chelsea

The 19-year-old will spend the 2023-24 season on loan in Belgium

Chelsea and U.S. national team goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina has completed a season-long loan to Belgian side KAS Eupen.

Slonina, 19, is looking to earn his first taste of senior minutes in Europe, having initially signed for Chelsea last August from the Chicago Fire in a reported $10 million deal.

After finishing the 2022 MLS season with the Fire, Slonina moved to London in January and made eight starts for Chelsea’s U-21 side.

The teenager is highly rated at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino saying last week the American could become one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

“It is a unique opportunity for KAS Eupen to sign a goalkeeper with the talent and class of Gabriel Slonina for a season,” said the Belgian club’s general director Christoph Henkel.

“After all, some top European clubs were also interested in his commitment before he moved to Chelsea. We look forward to working with Gabriel Slonina and are confident that he will bring strength to our team and help us achieve this season’s goals.”

Slonina went on Chelsea’s preseason tour of the U.S. this summer, and made his senior debut for the club against Fulham at FedEx Field on July 30.

The teenager also made his senior international debut this year, becoming the youngest USMNT goalkeeper ever when he started a January friendly against Serbia.

Eupen has already started the 2023-24 season in the Belgian Pro League, winning one and drawing one from its first two matches.

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Cowell and Slonina star as USA finishes perfect U-20 World Cup group stage

The U.S. defeated Slovakia 2-0 behind goals from two San Jose Earthquakes players

The U.S. completed a perfect group stage at the U-20 World Cup, defeating Slovakia 2-0 on Friday to advance as Group B winners.

The San Jose Earthquakes provided both of the goalscorers for the USA. Cade Cowell opened the scoring in the 38th minute with a superb individual effort, while Niko Tsakiris put the game away with a goal in second-half stoppage time.

Though the U.S. controlled much of the proceedings, Gabriel Slonina was called into action on multiple occasions, and his tremendous sprawling save in the first half kept Slovakia off the board.

Slonina has not conceded a goal in three games so far at the World Cup, all of which have been wins for the U.S. As Group B winners, the U.S. will now face a third-place team on Tuesday in the round of 16.

Cowell gave Slovakia fits all game with his pace and close control, but his finishing let him down on multiple occasions. He did, however, find a telling finish in the 38th minute to give his side the lead after bypassing no fewer than four defenders.

Slonina then prevented Slovakia from scoring against the run of play with an outstanding diving stop.

Slovakia took more control as it pushed for an equalizer late in the game, but Tsakiris put the game away by showing real composure inside the box after a pass from Quinn Sullivan.

After defeating Ecuador, Fiji and Slovakia, the U.S. will get two key reinforcements for the knockout stage: Kevin Paredes and Rokas Pukštas will join up ahead of the last 16 after their club sides agreed to release them if the U.S. advanced past the group stage.

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The top young USMNT players and prospects in 2023

The stars of today and tomorrow are ready to lead the USMNT to a bright future

The U.S. men’s national team should have a bright future ahead.

With one of the youngest teams at the World Cup, the USMNT got out of its group and qualified for the last 16 in Qatar — a substantial achievement after missing the 2018 tournament entirely.

Now the focus shifts to the main event: the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

Several of the 2022 roster’s best young players should be back and right in their prime in 2026, and they should be joined by a host of younger players just starting to make their way in the game now.

Below are some of the USMNT’s best young players. For the purposes of this list, the player must be born in 2003 or later.

USMNT prospects: Aaronson breaking through in MLS, Fletcher scoring in USL

While Brenden Aaronson is turning heads in the Premier League, his younger brother, Paxten, is breaking through in MLS

U.S. fans are understandably abuzz projecting the 2022 World Cup roster and debating the best hypothetical XI for Qatar. But there are reasons beyond the upcoming World Cup to get excited about the USMNT’s future.

After the World Cup, the U.S. will compete in the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia, followed by the 2024 Summer Olympics in France.

The 2022 World Cup is — of course — the most notable tournament, and it’s on deck first. But we can’t help but look ahead to the next generation, so we’ve started a series tracking USMNT prospects to watch.

Here’s our first installment of sporadic check-ins with some of American soccer’s up-and-coming prospects for 2023 and beyond.

USMNT goalkeeper prodigy Gabriel Slonina is heading to Chelsea

One of the top young goalkeepers in the world will join the Blues in 2023

Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina has completed a transfer to Chelsea, signing a six-year contract with the Blues.

Slonina, 18, has been loaned back to the Fire for the remainder of the 2022 MLS season and will join up with Chelsea in January 2023.

Chelsea will reportedly pay a $10 million fee to Chicago up front, with the possibility of a further $5m in add-ons.

In announcing the move, the Fire said they “will retain a percentage of any future transfer fee Chelsea receives for Slonina.”

“I joined this club with ambitions of playing at the highest level and it’s been a dream come true to wear the Chicago Fire jersey,” said Slonina.

Slonina took over as the Fire’s starting goalkeeper last season at age 17, becoming the youngest goalkeeper ever to start an MLS match. He has started all 23 of the Fire’s matches this season, keeping 10 clean sheets.

At the international level, the 18-year-old committed to the U.S. earlier this summer despite a concerted effort by Poland to bring him into the fold.

Chelsea’s current incumbent in goal is Édouard Mendy, 30, who has established himself as the clear-cut starter at Stamford Bridge. Mendy’s strong play has current backup Kepa Arrizabalaga looking for a way out this summer in search of a starting role.

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It sounds like Gabriel Slonina only wants to play for Real Madrid

Gabriel Slonina’s agent has said that his client has his heart set on a transfer to Real Madrid

Gabriel Slonina has been linked to a host of the biggest clubs in the world in recent months, but it sounds like he’s got his heart set on just one: Real Madrid.

The Chicago Fire teenager is considered one of the world’s top young goalkeepers, and a move to Europe appears to be imminent.

Chelsea and Bayern Munich have been credited with an interest, while MLSsoccer.com reported this week that Real Madrid has already seen a bid for Slonina rejected.

Speaking to MLSsoccer.com, Slonina’s agent Jaime Garcia revealed that his client has a clear preference for where he’d like to play.

“It should be an honor for Chicago, and MLS, to have Real Madrid take notice in one of their players,” Garcia said. “We are hoping Chicago can find an agreement with Real Madrid to realize Gabriel’s dream of playing for this club.”

Poland calls up USMNT prospect Gabriel Slonina for Nations League

The teenage star has accepted a call to the European country after he was called up to the USMNT earlier this year

Having just turned 18, Gabriel Slonina has marked himself one of the top goalkeeper prospects in world soccer, and the U.S. national team’s goalkeeper of the future.

But what if … he wasn’t the USMNT’s goalkeeper of the future?

Poland certainly hopes that will be the case and the European nation took a step in that direction on Tuesday by calling up the mega-talented teenager for its four upcoming UEFA Nations League matches.

The Chicago Fire star was one of five goalkeepers called up for Poland’s games against Belgium (two matches), Wales and the Netherlands next month.

Slonina was born and raised in the United States and has represented his birth country at the youth level. He’s also been called into two senior camps and is considered an outside bet to make the World Cup squad as the team’s third-string keeper.

But the teenager is also eligible for Poland, which has been putting on a full-court press to try and temp him away. Last month, Poland national team manager Czeslaw Michniewicz met with Slonina and was quoted as saying the goalkeeper is “very interested in playing for our squad,” and that it was “heading in the right direction for us.”

Would Slonina be tied to Poland if he plays?

Slonina could theoretically be tied to Poland for the rest of his career during the upcoming international window – but only if he appears in all four matches.

FIFA rules allows players to switch countries if they have played no more than three competitive matches at senior level prior to them turning 21.

While it appears unlikely Slonina will be tied to Poland after the upcoming window, there would theoretically be at least one advantage for the goalkeeper if he chooses the European nation. Slonina is widely expected to move to a European club in the near future, and playing for a national team in Europe would dramatically reduce his required travel.

Like the USMNT, Poland qualified for the 2022 World Cup and is in a group with Argentina, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.

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