Chicago’s Gaga Slonina makes USMNT World Cup Qualifying roster

Gabriel Slonina’s meteoric rise continues.

The 17-year-old star goalkeeper for the Chicago Fire earned a spot on the United States Men’s National Team’s roster for the team’s three upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifying matches.

Slonina has been in a domestic-based USMNT camp since January 7. He is one of four goalkeepers called in by head coach Gregg Berhalter for three crucial upcoming World Cup Qualifying matches, along with Manchester City’s Zack Steffen, NYCFC’s Sean Johnson, and Matt Turner of the New England Revolution.

The USMNT will face El Salvador at 6:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, Jan. 27 at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. Next, the team will travel to face Canada on 2:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, Jan. 30 at Tim Horton Field in Hamilton, Canada.

The USMNT will then face off against Honduras at 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn. With six matches remaining, the USMNT sits in second place in the Octagonal standings with 15 points and a 4-1-3 record. The top three teams in the group earn automatic qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.