Bartlett’s Gal joining national team

Jeff Gal won’t be walking down the aisle with his Bartlett High School classmates when the school holds its commencement ceremony at the Sears Centre on May 28.

No, Gal isn’t in trouble, nor is he ill or injured.

While the Bartlett senior class receives its diplomas on May 28, Gal will be in Lisbon, Portugal playing soccer for the U.S. Men’s National 18U team.

“I’m pretty excited. I have to miss graduation but that’s OK with me,” Gal said Monday. “This is a big thing. It’s a big accomplishment. All the hard work I’ve been putting in is paying off. I’ll get my diploma when I get back.”

Gal, a goalie who has signed with Creighton, gave up his senior season of playing for the Hawks to concentrate on his game with the Sockers FC Chicago club team.

Gal, who was named the U.S. Soccer U17/18 Performer of the Week last week, was chosen for the national team about 2 weeks ago and the team was made public last week. He is one of only two Illinois players chosen for the trip by coach Mike Matkovich, the other being midfielder Victor Pineda of Bolingbrook.

Gal, who just turned 18 on April 5, made the team through his efforts at camps in Arizona in February and in Oregon in April.

“I’ve been putting 100 percent in every day,” he said. “I’ve been staying after practice and talking to my coaches about what I need to do to get to the next level. I want to go professional. That’s what I’m focused on.”

This will be Gal’s first trip overseas to play soccer. The MNT squad will leave Thursday to train ahead of three matches it has scheduled in Lisbon — against the Netherlands on May 25, Portugal on May 26 and then against Finland on May 28.

When Gal heads to Creighton in the fall he will join a Bluejays program that finished the season 13-5-2, losing to SMU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Creighton was ranked No. 13 in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.