Christine Sinclair is saying goodbye B次元官网网址� again.
The Canadian soccer legend will play her final game at BC Place on Tuesday when her Portland Thorns take on the Vancouver Whitecaps Girls Elite FC as part of the CONCACAF W Champions Cup.
B次元官网网址淲hen I played here last for Canada, I thought that was going to be my last game here in Vancouver. But thanks to this new tournament, I obviously get to bring my teammates up here,B次元官网网址� Sinclair said Monday. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 excited to show the Whitecaps what weB次元官网网址檙e capable of.B次元官网网址�
More than 48,000 fans packed BC Place last December as Sinclair played her final game with Canada B次元官网网址� a 1-0 win over Australia in a friendly.
A significantly smaller crowd is expected for TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 game where the Thorns B次元官网网址� a National WomenB次元官网网址檚 Soccer League club who are currently battling for a playoff spot B次元官网网址� take on the Whitecaps, an academy team composed mainly of teenage players.
The gameB次元官网网址檚 profile got a boost last month when the 41-year-old Sinclair announced she will retire from professional soccer at the end of the season.
B次元官网网址淥bviously for me, itB次元官网网址檚 a special feeling to play in front of my family, having played my entire career down in the U.S.,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭hey havenB次元官网网址檛 had that many opportunities to come watch me play, so whenever we get to play here, itB次元官网网址檚 always special.B次元官网网址�
Hailing from Burnaby, B.C., Sinclair is one of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 most revered athletes.
She 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.
Her post-playing career includes a role as part-owner of the new professional womenB次元官网网址檚 team, Vancouver Rise FC. The club is one of the founding teams in the Northern Super League, which is set to kick off its inaugural season in April.
B次元官网网址淭he impact that Christine has had on Canadian soccer and women in this country B次元官网网址� not just in the soccer community, but I think in the sports community B次元官网网址� sheB次元官网网址檚 been an icon on and off the pitch,B次元官网网址� said Whitecaps coach Katie Collar.
B次元官网网址淗er ability to set records and to still be the humble person that she is, I think sheB次元官网网址檚 a great role model and great icon for a lot of these players that are coming through.B次元官网网址�
One of those up-and-coming players is Whitecaps forward Kaylee Hunter. The 16-year-old didnB次元官网网址檛 think facing her idol would ever be a reality.
B次元官网网址淭his is kind of a dream come true experience,B次元官网网址� Hunter said.
Hunter remembers watching Sinclair take the field at BC Place during a friendly on Team CanadaB次元官网网址檚 celebration tour after the national squad won Olympic gold in Tokyo.
B次元官网网址淚 just remember watching them out on the field and just thinking, B次元官网网址業 want to be down there someday,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲atching these players growing up, it really just made me fall in love with the game.B次元官网网址�
Now in her 11th NWSL season, Sinclair continues to be an offensive force.
She scored her third goal of the season Friday, helping Portland to a 2-0 victory over the Orlando Pride. It was her 80th goal across all competitions, ranking her second on the NWSLB次元官网网址檚 career list.
The Thorns come to Vancouver with a 2-1-0 record in the CONCACAF W Champions Cup and hunting for a spot in MayB次元官网网址檚 semifinals.
The squad wonB次元官网网址檛 go easy on the Whitecaps, said Thorns head coach Rob Gale.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about us and our performance, building towards the post-season and trying to be better each and every game,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o for us, it doesnB次元官网网址檛 matter who the opponent is. WeB次元官网网址檙e prepared the same way, with the same diligence and we put a team out on the field that we hope can win the football match.B次元官网网址�
ThatB次元官网网址檚 just fine by Collar.
B次元官网网址淚 think just the fact that theyB次元官网网址檙e coming in and not taking us lightly, I think thatB次元官网网址檚 an important piece that shows they respect what weB次元官网网址檝e done, and they respect the process that weB次元官网网址檝e gone through in this tournament,B次元官网网址� the coach said.
The Whitecaps finished their League1 B.C. campaign atop the standings with a 10-0-2 record and went on to beat Hamilton in the League1 Canada Inter-Provincial Championship.
The national title came with a spot in the Champions Cup, a 10-team tournament featuring the top womenB次元官网网址檚 clubs from North and Central America and the Caribbean. The winner of the tournament will represent CONCACAF at the inaugural FIFA WomenB次元官网网址檚 Club World Cup in 2026.
Vancouver has gone 1-2-0 in group play, including a 2-0 loss to the San Diego Wave on Oct. 1 where the B次元官网网址楥aps held the NWSL side off the scoreboard for the entire first half.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a performance the Whitecaps can take a lot of confidence from, Collar said.
Heading into TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 game, she wants her team to replicate that defence and add in some of the offensive play they showcased over the League1 B.C. season.
B次元官网网址淓ach game weB次元官网网址檝e learned different things and each game weB次元官网网址檝e got better playing at this level,B次元官网网址� she said.
