By the time Anna Gabriella Pinto Saboia — known to teammates as Gabi or simply Saboia — steps onto the soccer field, she’s already carrying more than cleats and shin guards. She brings with her the rhythm of Brazilian street games, the quiet grit of a comeback story, and the fire of a sibling rivalry that fuels her every sprint.
Born in Jean Peso, Brazil, and raised in Lindale, Texas, Saboia’s soccer journey began not with a single moment of revelation, but with immersion.
“My whole entire family, like we’ve all played soccer,” she said. “I’m from Brazil, soccer is like a part of our culture, like it’s literally everywhere.”
Her earliest memories of the sport are tangled with those of her brother, whose footsteps she followed onto the pitch.
“Once my brother started playing soccer, I kind of just joined with him. I’ve just played since then,” she reminisces.
Now a sophomore majoring in general studies, Saboia plans to pursue computer science at a four-year university. But her goals stretch beyond the classroom. She plays outside back, right winger, and center back — positions that demand both versatility and vision. Her dream? To play college soccer and eventually become a software developer.
“I feel like having a team makes me want to work harder for them and also for myself,” she said. “It just gives me more motivation to continue playing.”
That motivation wasn’t always easy to find. Saboia experienced a difficult year where she stepped away from the sport entirely.
“I stopped playing soccer for a year. I just… mentally I wasn’t in the right space,” she shares. “But once I joined back, I felt like my love for soccer grew like 10 times. I missed it so much that I just couldn’t stop playing after that.”
Her return marked a turning point — not just in her athletic performance, but in her mindset. She became more dedicated, more focused, and more determined to improve.
One area she’s working on is finishing — those final, decisive touches that turn effort into goals.
“We practice a lot of finishing,” she explains. “In practices, we finish well. I just feel like in games, sometimes we give in to the pressure… we miss a small detail, and it throws us off balance.”
It’s a challenge she’s tackling head-on, knowing that precision under pressure is what separates good teams from great ones.
Saboia recalls the regional showdown against Navarro last year.
“It was like our first time beating them,” she explains. “We lost to them both times previously. It was like our revenge match, basically. We got to beat them and show that we were better.”
That win wasn’t just a scoreline — it was a statement.
Saboia’s intensity belies a deep well of drive. She describes herself as “quiet, hardworking, and sometimes caring,” though she admits not everyone sees that softer side. What they do see is her relentless effort — giving 100% until she’s “dead tired,” as she puts it. Soccer has taught her discipline, resilience and the value of pushing through.
For freshmen just starting out, Saboia offers simple but powerful advice. Stay motivated and focus on improvement. Its a philosophy she lives by, shaped by family, culture, and a game that’s more than just sport — its identity.
Whether she’s defending the back line or sprinting down the wing, Saboia plays with purpose. As she chases her goals — on the field and in tech — she’s proving passion, once rekindled, burns brighter than ever.
