Maybe it was when Camila Gil scored against Brownsville Lopez to tie their second-round playoff game this season with less than 10 minutes remaining that the tag “fabulous freshman,” got unofficially placed on the McAllen Rowe player.
But, when she floated a corner kick perfectly into the box and sophomore teammate Abby Rocha headed it in for the game-winning goal in that same playoff matchup, the tag was elevated to “Freshman Phenom,” (yes, with capital letters for emphasis).
However, when you talk to The Monitor’s 2021 All-Area Girls Soccer Newcomer of the Year, those crucial performances are nothing more than her “just trying to help my team.”
Gil, a freshman forward for the McAllen Rowe Warriors brought with her everything Rowe girls soccer head coach John Martinez expected from her ever since he saw her play during the summer heading into seventh grade.
“She played with our high school summer team and she was scoring goals then,” Martinez said. “We knew she was going to be special. How special? We didn’t know that, of course, but she showed us this season that she was pretty special.”
The Rowe forward scored 36 goals and dished out 17 assists for the 20-5-1 Warriors this season. A midfielder during her years in middle school, Martinez made the switch to move her closer to the top after seeing her movement in the midfield.
The results were immediate.
“We needed someone who could control the ball so we pushed Camila up high and it opened just so many windows,” Martinez said. “What we saw her doing at midfield she kept doing it up top on the offensive third – and now she was just 20 yards from the goal with that powerful leg.”
Gil didn’t know what her role in this past soccer season was going to be. In fact, due to the COVID-19 pandemic that began last year and shut down soccer teams across the Valley just days before the postseason, she didn’t know if she would have a role at all. Many schools across the Valley, state and country paused freshman teams or junior varsity teams from competing. Still there was a sprinkle of freshmen playing here and there.
“Coach Martinez gave me the call to come and practice with the team and then gave me a uniform and said I was playing varsity,” the soft-spoken Gil said. “It was good news. He had given me some hints but I was just trying my best to make the team.”
Gil, however, didn’t play like the normal freshman. She showed leadership skills – and talent – well beyond her high school years… well, year.
“I usually let the girls talk about what they need to improve on during halftime,” Martinez said. “And during the first match against McHi, Camila was talking – and everyone, seniors and all, were listening. And it made a difference.”
Gil is quick to admit that she needs to work on her quickness and speed, especially to reach her goal of playing at the next level. While she has a powerful leg and moves craftily without the ball finding ways to get open, the end goal for Gil is just to continue getting better.
“I’m really hoping I get better at what I do and can prove that I can make it to the next level,” she said. “My big goal is to play at the college level. I’m getting better at passing and my shots, but I want to work on my takeoff and my quickness.”
Martinez said what Gil may lack in speed, she makes up in her soccer IQ.
“She puts herself in great positions. She knows where to go and how to anticipate, that’s how she gets open all the time,” Martinez said. “She understand and wants to attack that. I know she’ll get faster and that will just make her more dangerous.
“She’s humble and wants to do what’s good for the team. We talked about her goals and her response was that I could put be back to midfield if it would help the team. Her teammates respond to her. She has that aura about her. With Camila, I definitely got what I wished for.”