Christine Sinclair barely celebrated her last goal at B.C. Place.

The Portland Thorns already had a hefty 4-0 lead on the Vancouver Whitecaps Girls Elite FC Tuesday when Sinclair fired in a shot from the side of the net during a CONCACAF W Champions Cup match.

The 41-year-old forward appeared almost bashful as the announced crowd of 6,731 fans rose to their feet cheering, and her teammates surrounded her with hugs and high fives.

In the stands, several fans held signs reading B次元官网网址淭hank you, Sinclair!B次元官网网址� and others sported Canada jerseys bearing her name and No. 12.

SinclairB次元官网网址檚 goal and reaction were no surprise to Thorns head coach Rob Gale.

B次元官网网址淐lass is permanent. Simple as that,B次元官网网址� he said after PortlandB次元官网网址檚 6-0 victory over the B次元官网网址楥aps.

B次元官网网址淚f you get the privilege to work with her and you see her every day, she leads the team in a quiet, understated way. She doesnB次元官网网址檛 like the spotlight. B次元官网网址� You canB次元官网网址檛 pay her enough compliments for a career and for the longevity that sheB次元官网网址檚 shown because she does everything right.B次元官网网址�

Tuesday marked yet another homecoming B次元官网网址� and goodbye B次元官网网址� for Sinclair, who hails from Burnaby, B.C.

Last month, she announced that sheB次元官网网址檒l retire from professional soccer at the end of the National WomenB次元官网网址檚 Soccer League season. The Thorns are currently pushing for a playoff spot and will close out the regular season in Portland on Nov. 1.

Sinclair ended her international career last year as the worldB次元官网网址檚 top scorer in both menB次元官网网址檚 and womenB次元官网网址檚 soccer with 190 goals. Her time with the national squad included appearing in six WomenB次元官网网址檚 World Cups B次元官网网址� and goals in five B次元官网网址� an Olympic title in Tokyo, and bronze at both the 2016 Games in Rio and 2012 Games in London.

Playing one final game in Vancouver with the club sheB次元官网网址檚 helmed for 11 seasons was special, Sinclair said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been incredible,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲hen I first started playing (semi-professional soccer) with the Whitecaps and the (Vancouver) Breakers, I never thought my career would end up where it has taken me and the places itB次元官网网址檚 allowed me to see, representing a great country, representing a great club. ItB次元官网网址檚 kind of come full circle.B次元官网网址�

Isabella DB次元官网网址橝quila scored twice and contributed three assists for the Thorns on Tuesday, while Sinclair, Alexa Spaanstra, Payton Linnehan and Reyna Reyes had a goal apiece.

Portland improved to 3-1-0 in the group phase of the Champions Cup and earned a spot in MayB次元官网网址檚 semifinals.

The Whitecaps, comprised mostly of teenage players from the clubB次元官网网址檚 academy system, went 1-3-0 across the 10-team tournament, which features the top womenB次元官网网址檚 clubs from North and Central America and the Caribbean. The winner will represent CONCACAF at the inaugural FIFA WomenB次元官网网址檚 Club World Cup in 2026.

The Whitecaps challenged the Thorns early on Tuesday.

Eighteen minutes in, B次元官网网址楥aps forward Jamie Perault got a solid run down the field and unleashed a shot that went just wide of the far post.

Her teammate, Jeneva Hernandez Gray, came within inches of opening the scoring three minutes later when she fired a shot off the post.

Portland knew their opponents were going to be feisty, Gale said.

B次元官网网址淭hey were brave. They got the ball. They caused us problems, everything we expected,B次元官网网址� the coach said. B次元官网网址淲e upped the tempo a little bit in the second half, and obviously could have scored more, but buried the chances and then kept a clean sheet at the other end. So job done. Goat scores again. Everybody goes home happy.B次元官网网址�

The Whitecaps embodied Canadian soccer on Tuesday, Sinclair said.

B次元官网网址淥bviously fight is what Canadians are known for. TheyB次元官网网址檙e not going to make it easy,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 think they should be proud of themselves. TheyB次元官网网址檝e got some really good players on that team.B次元官网网址�

For Hernandez Gray, lining up against one of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 most revered athletes will be an enduring memory.

B次元官网网址淚t was crazy to host (Sinclair) at home. Obviously it was crazy for her as well,B次元官网网址� said the 19-year-old midfielder. B次元官网网址淚 think myself and a whole bunch of people on my team, itB次元官网网址檚 just surreal to have her come and play here at home. It was just crazy.B次元官网网址�

The Whitecaps are now out of the Champions Cup, but head coach Katie Collar said the experience has been a pivotal one for her young group.

The team grew from every game, she said, and the future of womenB次元官网网址檚 soccer in Canada is bright.

B次元官网网址淚 think watching some of those players have the success that they did tonight against, top, top pro players, itB次元官网网址檚 just an exciting time,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淚 think everybody in the stands tonight, just walking around, listening to the buzz, listening to people come over and talk to me about the game, everybodyB次元官网网址檚 excited about it.B次元官网网址�

Part of SinclairB次元官网网址檚 post-retirement life will include a gig as part-owner of a new professional womenB次元官网网址檚 soccer team, Vancouver Rise FC. The club is one of the founding teams in the Northern Super League, set to kick off its first season in April.

The league will give young fans a chance to watch womenB次元官网网址檚 soccer live on a regular basis, and provide a place for the next generation of the countryB次元官网网址檚 young stars to grow and develop, Sinclair said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 huge for the country. ItB次元官网网址檚 huge for the youngsters in Canada,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淧layers shouldnB次元官网网址檛 have to retire just because they might not have made a national team, or they didnB次元官网网址檛 have the opportunity to go overseas. And the future is very bright.B次元官网网址�