Gabriel Sara – Sao Paulo’s multi-functional attacking conduit
Gabriel Sara has experienced he peaks and troughs of Brazilian football at only 21-years-old, coming into the squad as a burgeoning young talent, he had to face harsh criticisms and injuries before becoming an integral first-team player and recently earning a contract extension until 2024. His father, Jorge Luis has been his greatest supporter and coach as he also played professionally and dreamed of his three sons playing professionally and donning the red and white of Sao Paulo. Gabriel’s brother Joao did not see many opportunities for himself in football and went into the music business and Samuel is still pursuing a career in football. Gabriel has achieved his dream and has grown into a multi-functional attacking conduit.
Gabriel Sara battled a metatarsal injury when he faced criticism but under Fernando Diniz and his progressive playing style, his well-rounded set of skills have been utilized. During games, Sara can move into the nine-space to fill in for Luciano and Brenner who prefer to drop deep to receive the ball, he can move into the wide areas and half-spaces to receive early passes from deep and operate as an attacking outlet or he can move into the six-space in the build-up phase and during short goal-kick moves to receive possession, turn past pressure and orchestrate attacking moves. The 21-year-old fills so many spaces and zones during games as he can be a player that starts moves at the top of his own box while also finishing moves in the opposition box.
Against Fluminense, Gabriel Sara would move to the opposite flank to connect with the ball-far winger as Gabriel would be positioned in the half-space with the winger positioned in the wide-zone, allowing the right-back, Igor Vinicius to move into the box as the right-back moved into the box to get on the end of deflection and shoot wide. The 21-year-old attacker would also move into the ten space and allow Sao Paulo to form triangles for vertical passing interchanges. The attacker played all over the pitch, dropping into the six-space to receive possession, as he received possession on the ten space while also moving onto the wings. He would also press the opposition as one of the strikers in a 4-4-2 shape.
Away to Santos, he regained possession from Luan Peres in the pressing phase to go through on goal as he opened his body and slotted past the keeper to open the score. He would then add a second as the ball was worked to Igor Vinicius to cut past his man and lay a cross into Gabriel Sara who finished with aplomb. When the 21-year-old moves into the nine-space as Luciano and Brenner drop deep to participate in build-up play, Gabriel Sara can receive the ball to lay-off and connect play as he can also get on the end of crosses to finish moves with clever near post runs as he can open his body and redirect the ball into the goal off his far foot.
Against Eduardo Coudet’s high pressing Internacional side, Sara would move into the deeper areas to receive possession, turn out of pressure and work connections for Sao Paulo to transition into breaking situations. In one instance, he received the ball to turn out of pressure and thread a ball to Igor Gomes then he turned out of pressure to work a one-two with a teammate. He then moved into the nine-space to have a flick-on before dribbling into the centre from the wide areas to thread a through ball to the striker, Pablo as the 21-year-old is just so intelligent in transition. He thrives when him, Tche Tche and Igor Gomes move into the same vertical zones to work one-touch passing moves as all of them are so technically developed in moving the ball with quick passing interchanges.
Against Goias, Sao Paulo worked a sequence where Luciano would drop deep, and Gabriel Sara would make a run in behind into space. He then lost possession before racing back to regain the ball and lobbing an exquisite pass to Luciano who failed to get a shot away. He dropped into the six-space to receive possession and switch the ball to Igor Gomes to play a through ball to Luciano who mis controlled the pass as Gabriel Sara was controlling the game, moving into space to receive possession and have touches in integral phases of play. He would drop next to Luan, who was positioned as the deepest-lying midfielder as Luan would move in between the centre-backs, leaving Gabriel Sara to receive possession in the six-space.
Gabriel Sara would receive the ball in the six-space to switch the ball to both fullbacks before pushing into the ten space to regain possession. The 21-year-old is so intelligent at lobbing the ball over pressure, threading passes through tight lines of pressure and then moving in between the lines to receive possession or make runs into space. His first-touch and one-touch passing are also exemplary as this allows him to evade pressure and move into space to receive the ball, adding continuity to his side’s play. Against Vasco Da Gama, he continued to drop into the six-space to receive possession as he progressed play before moving in between the central lines or connecting things from the left and right half-space.
In the final third, he is a true modern-day facet of the positional play age as a roving playmaker and manipulator of space. He moves, receiving the ball and connecting play in space with one-touch passes in between the lines as he had an instance where he nearly created a high-quality opportunity for a teammate, receiving the ball four times in one attacking sequence. As a striker, Luciano prefers to drop extraordinarily deep to act as an outball in build-up play or participate in wide combinations as this allows Gabriel Sara to move into the nine space. Against Goias, Gabriel Sara worked a one-touch flick to Luciano who worked the ball back to him in a quick paced counter-attacking move.
Gabriel Sara is not an all flash and no substance type of player as he possesses the ability to create chances in the final third as Dani Alves played a ball in behind to him against Goias as the 21-year-old crossed for Luciano to control and mis-kick. He then moved into the nine space and knocked down a lobbed pass for Brenner to have a shot on goal. Luciano and left-back, Reinaldo then worked a combination to spread the ball to Gabriel Sara who left his marker on his back-side with a nifty dribble to lob in a cross which was cleared by a defender. Gabriel Sara is a clever dribbler as well as being a gifted crosser from the wide areas as he notched an assist by dummying a throw in to Luciano who played the ball back to him to square a pass for Brenner to apply the finish at the far post.
He then showed the initiative to drop deep, receive possession and try to thread through balls to facilitate counter-attacks as a few of them were overhit and intercepted but his ability to dribble and earn a yard of space was impressive. Against Atletico Mineiro, he was more successful in evading pressure as centre-back, Robert Arboleda moved wider when Diniz’ side switched to a back-three as the Ecuadorian pushed forward to work a pass to Gabriel Sara in the half-space to work a one-touch pass to a teammate before receiving the ball again and shifting the ball into the centre.
He positioned himself in the right half-space allowing his side to create overloads as Arboleda who drove the ball forward and threaded passes to Sara who would drop into the open spaces. He worked another brilliant sequence where he received a pass from Dani Alves to work a connection before dummying a pass to Igor Gomes and moving into space in the wide zone to receive possession and have a cross blocked. In the second-half, Igor Gomes chipped a pass to Vitor Bueno who crossed for Gabriel Sara to make a run to the near post, open his body and redirect the delivery into the bottom corner to double Sao Paulo’s lead at 2-0.
Few players can boast of occupying the many positions and roles that Gabriel Sara does throughout the game. He can score goals with near post runs from the nine space while also moving and connecting play in the central pockets and half-spaces while creating opportunities with low crosses from the wide areas. He can also be employed as a natural winger, receiving the ball to cross or cut inside and have shots on goal. However, he can also connect play from the six-space as he is so well-rounded at only 21-years-old. It is exciting to watch him move into the central areas and work through balls for runners as he is a deep-lying distributer, half-space connecter and wide creator rolled into one. There are few players who can operate in the positions he operates in with the effectiveness and efficiency he operates with.
“Everyone wants to slaughter the kid, as if he were a small, smaller player, and the coach is an idiot who puts him to play. It's not like that. And it's not because he scored both goals, it's because he's good. If he wasn’t good, I wouldn’t be playing him.. He goes through a transition process, so we’re going to kill a lot of kids who could be players. blood of others, "said Diniz after his two-goal performance against Santos.
Gabriel Sara was awarded with a new contract until 2024 as his contract was expiring next year as it was rumored that €15 million would be enough to sign him as his value is set to skyrocket. He communicated his desire to stay with the club he has been with since the age of 13 for at least two more years as he continues to develop. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has 6 goals and 5 assists this season while his value to the side can be measured in more than goals and assists. In February, he could be a Brasiliero Serie A champion as Brazilian commentator Ledio Carmona described him as the ‘revelation’ of the Brasiliero this season.
