{{short description|Canadian soccer player (born 1989)}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Gabe Gala | image = Gabe Gala TFC 2010.jpg | image_size = 225px | caption = Gala in 2010 | fullname = Gala Gabriel Gala<ref name="FIFA">{{Cite web |title=FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007 – List of Players |url=http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWYC/2007/pdf/FWYC_2007_SquadLists.pdf |publisher=FIFA |page=4 |date=July 5, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231000046/http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWYC/2007/pdf/FWYC_2007_SquadLists.pdf |archive-date=December 31, 2013}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1989|6|29}} | birth_place = Yola, Nigeria | height = {{height|ft=5|in=7}} | position = Midfielder | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Brampton East | youthyears2 = 2005–2006 | youthclubs2 = North Mississauga SC | collegeyears1 = 2008–2009 | college1 = Toronto Varsity Blues | years1 = 2007–2010 | clubs1 = Toronto FC | caps1 = 17 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2011 | clubs2 = Mississauga Eagles | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 2014 | clubs3 = North York Astros | caps3 = | goals3 = | years4 = 2015 | clubs4 = Scarborough SC | caps4 = | goals4 = | years5 = 2016 | clubs5 = North Mississauga SC | caps5 = 10 | goals5 = 1 | nationalyears1 = 2006–2009 | nationalteam1 = Canada U20 | nationalcaps1 = 9 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | medaltemplates = | pcupdate = 10 October 2016 | ntupdate = 11 June 2015 }}
'''Gala Gabriel Gala''' (born June 29, 1989) is a Canadian soccer player.
==Career== ===Youth=== Gala moved from his native Nigeria to Brampton, Ontario as a young child. He played club soccer for the Brampton East SC and North Mississauga SC and his high schools Saint Marguerite D’Youville and C. W. Jefferys.
===Professional=== Gala joined Toronto FC as a development player in 2007, and played extensively in the MLS Reserve Division prior to him making his professional debut on June 2, 2007, when he came on as a substitute against the Colorado Rapids. He scored his first goal for the Toronto FC first-team in an international friendly against Real Madrid on August 7, 2009. After making 15 appearances for Toronto in the 2010 season he was waived by the club on November 24 following the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft.<ref>[https://www.torontofc.ca/news/toronto-waives-five-players Toronto Waives Five Players] ; Toronto FC, 24 November 2010</ref> He also attended the University of Toronto and played for the Varsity Blues during this time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://varsityblues.ca/sports/mens-soccer/roster/gabe-gala/2445|title=Gabe Gala Varsity Blues profile|work=Toronto Varsity Blues}}</ref>
In 2011, he signed with newly expansion Mississauga Eagles FC of the Canadian Soccer League.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports11/11csl067.htm|title=June 19, 2011 CSL--Mississauga Eagles FC vs Brantford Galaxy (by Rocket Robin)|last=Glover|first=Robin|website=www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com|access-date=2016-05-27}}</ref> He took two years of a sabbatical from soccer, and later returned in 2014 to sign with North York Astros.<ref name="RNO interview">{{cite web |url=http://www.rednationonline.ca/Articles2015/RNOInterviewSeriesGabeGala.aspx |last=Vujcic |first=Djuradj |agency=RedNation Online |title=RNO Interview Series: Gabe Gala|access-date=2024-12-07 |date=2015-06-29 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240123160752/http://www.rednationonline.ca/Articles2015/RNOInterviewSeriesGabeGala.aspx |archive-date=23 January 2024 |url-status=}}</ref> During his tenure with North York he helped the club secure a postseason berth by finishing fourth in the postseason. After the departure of North York from the CSL he signed with expansion franchise Scarborough SC.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://canadiansoccerleague.ca/scarborough-sc/ |title=Scarborough SC {{!}} Canadian Soccer League |date=2015-11-16 |access-date=2017-05-04 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151116122324/http://canadiansoccerleague.ca/scarborough-sc/ |archivedate=2015-11-16 }}</ref>
In 2016, he joined League1 Ontario club North Mississauga SC.
==International== Gala made his debut for the Canada's U-20 team on May 19, 2006, against Brazil, and made his first start against the United States on July 9, 2006. He was also a member of Canada's U20 side for the 2007 U20 World Cup.
==Club statistics== {| class="wikitable" style=font-size:90% text-align: center width=69% |- !rowspan=2 width=8%| '''Season''' !rowspan=2 width=13%| '''Team''' !rowspan=2 width=8%| '''League''' !colspan=2 width=8%| Domestic League !colspan=2 width=8%| Domestic Playoffs !colspan=2 width=8%| Domestic Cup !colspan=2 width=8%| Continental Championship !colspan=2 width=8%| Total |- !align=center| '''Apps''' !align=center| '''Goals''' !align=center| '''Apps''' !align=center| '''Goals''' !align=center| '''Apps''' !align=center| '''Goals''' !align=center| '''Apps''' !align=center| '''Goals''' !align=center| '''Apps''' !align=center| '''Goals''' |- |rowspan=1 align=center|2007 |rowspan=4 align=center|'''Toronto FC''' |rowspan=4 align=center|MLS |align=center|5 |align=center|0 |align=center|- |align=center|- |align=center|- |align=center|- |align=center|- |align=center|- !align=center|'''5''' !align=center|'''0''' |- |rowspan=1 align=center|2008 |align=center|1 |align=center|0 |align=center|- |align=center|- |align=center|- |align=center|- |align=center|- |align=center|- !align=center|'''1''' !align=center|'''0''' |- |rowspan=1 align=center|2009 |align=center|1 |align=center|0 |align=center|- |align=center|- |align=center|- |align=center|- |align=center|- |align=center|- !align=center|'''1''' !align=center|'''0''' |- |rowspan=1 align=center|2010 |align=center|10 |align=center|0 |align=center|- |align=center|- |align=center|4 |align=center|0 |align=center|1 |align=center|0 !align=center|'''15''' !align=center|'''0''' |- !style="background: #DCDCDC" colspan="3" |'''Career Total''' !style="background: #DCDCDC" align=center|'''17''' !style="background: #DCDCDC" align=center|'''0''' !style="background: #DCDCDC" align=center|'''-''' !style="background: #DCDCDC" align=center|'''-''' !style="background: #DCDCDC" align=center|'''4''' !style="background: #DCDCDC" align=center|'''0''' !style="background: #DCDCDC" align=center|'''1''' !style="background: #DCDCDC" align=center|'''0''' !style="background: #DCDCDC" align=center|'''22''' !style="background: #DCDCDC" align=center|'''0''' |}
==Honours==
===Toronto FC=== *'''Canadian Championship (1):''' 2010
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{MLS player|gabe-gala}} *{{Canada Soccer player|1230}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gala, Gabe}} Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:Black Canadian men's soccer players Category:Canadian Soccer League (1998–present) players Category:Canadian men's soccer players Category:Naturalized citizens of Canada Category:Canadian sportspeople of Nigerian descent Category:Nigerian men's footballers Category:Nigerian emigrants to Canada Category:Toronto FC players Category:Major League Soccer players Category:Canadian real estate agents Category:Canada men's youth international soccer players Category:Mississauga Eagles FC players Category:North York Astros players Category:Scarborough SC players Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:North Mississauga SC players Category:Toronto Varsity Blues men's soccer players Category:Soccer players from Brampton Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen Category:21st-century Nigerian sportsmen Category:University and college men's soccer players in Canada Category:People from Yola, Nigeria