by The Greens announced the arrival of Brazilian forward Joelma Alves Gabriel in the past weeks. The twenty-eight-year-old joined following a short spell with Macedonian side ZFK Kamenica Sasa.
The Sporting Fan caught up with Joelma Alves Gabriel to find out how she is settling into her new life with the Greens, what prompted her move to Malta and what she hopes to achieve with the team. A set of quick questions at the end also gives some insight into who Joelma Alves Gabriel is, in and outside of the football world.
Eleanor Saliba (ES): Can you give a brief overview of your football journey, where you started playing football and your time playing in Brazil?
Joelma Alves Gabriel (JAG): I started playing on the street next to my house. It was just boys playing but they let me join in once they saw that I was good. My sister then found this website of the Centro Olimpico team and asked me if I wanted to go. Of course, I wanted to but I had never played in an only girls’ team before. I was very afraid, but it went well. There were three tests to pass to get in, but I did only one, they said it was perfect and let me in.
I started my football career when I was fifteen with the Centro Olimpico, where there were great players like Debinha and we were playing against top players. Then when I was eighteen I had other proposals to move to other teams, so I went to San Bernard and then Ponte Preta. There I played against Corinthians and in the first game I scored in the first ten minutes. It is one of the best teams, so they were very impressed. I kept growing and I then moved to play with San Jose which was one of the best teams at the time. Following the Covid-19 pandemic I had some short time with Fortaleza, Cruzeiro and Fluminense.
In Brazil, Joelma Alves Gabriel won several regional and state titles with the clubs she played for, including most recently the Amazon State Championship in 2019 with club 3B da Amazonia Women.
ES: What made you want to come to Europe?
JAG: I wanted to play abroad for a long time but playing in Brazil was good because I was close to my family. However, then I thought it is time for a new experience, so last February I went to play in Macedonia with Kamenica Sasa.
ES: How different was the style of play in Brazil to that in Macedonia?
JAG: It was very different, unfortunately it was very weak compared to Brazil in terms of pace and quality. So, after training and after matches, I was going to train again in the gym by myself, to keep up the level.
With Macedonian side ZFK Kamenica Sasa, Joelma Alves Gabriel finished second place in the league, just three points adrift of the league winners. The team also reached the cup final.
ES: How do you sum up your time with Kamenica Sasa?
It was a short time, but I wished we won more because we were close to winning the league and the cup. In the team there were players who were good, but there were two players that were injured which made it difficult to win titles. I scored the goal in the semi-final to get us to the final in the cup. The league was decided on the final day and we could have won. We were 1-1 and close to scoring the second goal but the fans started throwing things into the pitch which was dangerous, so the game was stopped and finished there. We were close, so it was very disappointing to end like that.
ES: Why did you feel that signing with Mgarr United in Malta was the right choice for you?
JAG: I had some options in different places including Macedonia, Turkey and even Cyprus. However, Mgarr United came with a plan and I believed it was the best option. I think it is a team that can win and hopefully we will do very well together.
ES: How do you like living in Malta so far?
JAG: It is very good, it is easy. I like it very much, it is beautiful. The people are very nice and the teammates give me very good support. However, it is very hot, I prefer cold weather so I don’t like that it is so hot.
ES: How has the experience of training with the team been so far?
JAG: So far, I am very happy I am adapting to the game and the style of how they want to play. I am also focusing on the physicality because I had some holidays in Brazil so also getting back into the fitness for the games.
ES: From what I have seen you mainly play in an attacking midfield role, can assist and score goals. Would you say this is your favourite position to play in?
JAG: Yes, I like to play there because I have good vision for passes, can dribble and can also shoot with left or right if I have the chance. I like to attack so prefer to be closer to the goal. Of course, if the team needs me to mark a player I will do that and help the team, especially if it is a difficult game. Then we attack when we have that one opportunity.
ES: So, what can fans expect to see while you are on the pitch?
JAG: I like to score, so hopefully they see a lot of goals and beautiful football. I want to help the team so that together we win games and then step by step we can win the championship.
ES: Considering your experience of winning titles, what do you want to bring to the team the team tries, as you work to achieve the goal of winning the title too?
JAG: I want to help my team, to respect traditions of the team, but to also bring new ideas and ways. I hope to bring the will to win and give an example to the other girls. The team is very united, and I like this very much.
ES: What are you most looking for to when playing your first game?
JAG: Of course, I want the team to win. I hope to have a good performance, maybe score a goal, make an assist and play beautiful football. In my first game in Macedonia I scored one goal and assisted another goal, so I hope it will be like this too. If I can do that it will be a good debut.
Who is Joelma Alves Gabriel on and off the football pitch?
- Score or Assist? – Score
- Cold or Hot Weather? – Cold
- Feijoada (rice and beans) or Churrasco (bbq steak)? – Feijoada
- Favourite football player? – Cristiane (women) and Ronaldo Nazario (men)
- Sport you would play if you were not a football player? – anything, but if I had to choose basketball (because my sister plays too)
- Samba or Bossa Nova? – Samba, but the best is Brazilian Funk
- Take a player on 1v1 or play 1-2s with a teammate? – 1v1 is more tough so I prefer it
- Favourite Drink? – Water
- Dream stadium to play in? – Allianz Parque (also known as Estádio Palestra Itália)
- Maltese Festa or Brazil Carnival? – To be determined…
The Sporting Fan would like to thank Joelma Alves Gabriel for her time to be able bring you this feature and look forward to seeing her on the pitch very soon.
Lead Image: Neil Fitzpatrick / Mgarr United Women
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[…] The Greens have been happy with what they saw from Shakira Grace Camilleri during her loan spell last season. The club has tied down the twenty-one year old who will continue to provide depth in the forward line. She completes the switch from Mtarfa FC and becomes the third club’s third official signing, following the announcements of Giulia D’Antuono and Joelma Alves Gabriel. […]