Rising South senior Gabriela Portilla and her team, Players Development Academy (PDA) South Force, earned first place at the U17 U.S. Club Soccer’s National Premier League finals in Greensboro, North Carolina. Teams from Texas, Arizona, California, Florida, Washington, New Jersey, New York, and Nebraska competed for the national title. Portilla’s team went undefeated in the tournament with a 4-0 record, winning the final game 1-0 against the New York Rush Patriots ’97.
The team’s journey to a national title began in the early spring at the start of the regular league season. The PDA South Force finished first in both the area and at the regional tournament in Massachusetts to earn a bid to the five-day national finals tournament. PDA South Force ended its season with a 17-1-1 record.
“The season was one long crescendo. We continued to build on our early successes and never lost sight of the ultimate goal to win a national championship,” Portilla said. “But in retrospect, it was much more than just one season.”
Portilla’s road to a national championship spans more than a decade, to when she first began playing recreational soccer with the WW-P Soccer Association at age 4. She moved on to travel soccer three years later and has been playing as a midfield for the PDA club since she was 13.
“[Winning the title] was a great way for me to say thank you to my family and friends, my coaches, and everyone who has supported me through the years,” she said.
Portilla’s family is no stranger to soccer. Her father, Pedro Portilla, played college-level soccer and is involved in the WW-P Soccer Association. Her younger brother, Pedro Ignacio, 10, plays competitive club soccer for the Mercer FC elite team. Her two Portuguese water dogs are named after famous soccer players — Xavi, the FC Barcelona midfielder, and the legendary Pele, Portilla’s favorite player.
Portilla lives in West Windsor with her parents, Pedro and Marisol Portilla, and her two siblings, Daniela, 15, and Pedro Ignacio. Her mother, Marisol, volunteers for the PTA and other local foundations, while her father works for Microsoft. Daniela is a rising sophomore at High School South and a member of the high school swim and golf teams. Pedro Ignacio will be a fifth grader at Village School.
“This national title is a reminder of all the hard work that has gone into getting me to where I am today. There is a lot of dedication and commitment that goes into being a student-athlete and balancing class work, volunteering, and athletics,” said Portilla.
Portilla is captain of the varsity soccer team, a peer leader, and a member of both the National Honor Society and Math Honor Society. She is also a youth leader for St. David the King’s youth ministry and a volunteer for Fun in Motion, an organization that offers equine assisted occupational therapy.
She looks forward to playing college soccer in the New England area and is considering Wellesley College, Brandeis University, and Tufts University, among others.
