It did not take Gabriel Slonina to leave an impression on Adin Brown when the latter joined Chicago Fire as goalkeeping coach in 2020. The former New England Revolution and Aalesund goalkeeper and Portland Timbers coach had spent time working with young stoppers from ages eight to 12 and collegiate prospects at University of Portland, though maybe none like the 15-year-old he was presented with in Chicago.
Brown was excited to work with the talent who a year previous became the youngest player to sign a professional deal in the MLS since Freddie Adu, but with veteran goalkeepers in the shape of in the shape of Kenneth Kronholm and Connor Sparrow, he perhaps did not expect to feel Slonina's ire quite so quickly.
The young glovesman wasted little time showing his hunger to succeed. One of Brown's first sessions with the US youth international saw the duo make eye contact and Slonina's displeasure was clear.
