Gaga sweepstakes ramp up: Poland calls up Chicago goalkeeper prodigy Gabriel Slonina
- by Mike Woitalla @MikeWoitalla, May 17, 2022
Two days after his 18th birthday, Illinois product Gabriel "Gaga" Slonina received an invitation to join Poland's national team from head coach Czesaw Michniewicz.
Michniewicz, who visited Slonina at the Chicago Fire's U.S. Open Cup game in April and gave him a Poland national team No. 1 jersey, also called in three other MLS players — Charlotte FC's Karol Swiderski and Kamil Jozwiak and Adam Buksa (New England) — for the Robert Lewandowski-led team that faces Belgium, Wales and the Netherlands for June's UEFA Nations League game.
Born and raised in Illinois to parents who are Polish immigrants, Slonina has been called into U.S. camps by Coach Gregg Berhalter but has yet see action for the USA's full national team. He played for the U.S. U-17s in February of 2020.
POWOANIA
— czy nas pika (@LaczyNasPilka) May 17, 2022
Selekcjoner Czesaw Michniewicz ogosi list powoanych zawodników na czerwcowe mecze Ligi Narodów.
Mamy debiutanta! pic.twitter.com/A8yayYb0l6
Slonina, who has played in 29 MLS games, is one of five goalkeepers call into to Poland's camp.
Poland qualified for the World Cup and is in Group C with Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Mexico. Its starting goalkeeper is Wojciech Szczesny, the 32-year-old who plays for Juventus and has 63 caps.
I hope he thinks long and hard about playing MLS and having UEFA qualifiers--traveling the pond will wear him prematurely. If Poland is the plan maybe a Bundesliga transfer would be smart.
His tweet should be read to the National Team, all who ascribe to wear the creat...18 years old, as am immigrant myself, it moved me...
“Being Polish means
His tweet should be read to the National Team, all who ascribe to wear the creat...18 years old, as am immigrant myself, it moved me...
“Being Polish means