NFL
By: Greg Rector
Christine Sinclair
Christine Sinclair has played her final game at a Women’s World Cup of soccer. The Canadian soccer phenom has been a standout for Canada for a very long time. She has captained Team Canada for 17 seasons. Sinclair might be best remembered in the United States for her performance against the United States at the London Olympic Games in 2012. The Olympic semi-final was held at the historic Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C., on August 6. Canada faced its longtime rival the United States, with the latter heavily favored. Sinclair scored the match’s opening goal in the first half, beginning a back-and-forth with the Americans that saw the game tied at 3–3 at the end of regulation, Sinclair having recorded a hat-trick before Alex Morgan scored the game-winning goal for the United States in extra time.
Christine Sinclair's career #CanWNT stats:
•326 caps
•190 goals, all-time record
•Olympic gold medal
•CONCACAF champion
•2x Olympic bronze medalWe might have just watched her final appearance at a World Cup. Salute to a GOAT. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/nyT1UbJrsP
— THE SHIFT (@theshift_sports) July 31, 2023
Christine Sinclair is now 40 years old her time leading the Canadian women’s team on the field has come to a close with today’s loss to the Australian team 4-0. Sinclair has always held herself to a standard we only wish all athletes should. On July 21, 2021, Sinclair played her 300th match for Canada, in which she scored a goal in a 1–1 draw against hosts Japan in the team’s opening match of the Olympic women’s tournament in Tokyo.
Canada accumulated one win and two tied games during group play, before advancing to face Brazil in the quarter-final. Scoreless during regular play, Canada prevailed in the shootout 4–3, despite Sinclair being denied on the opening attempt. Following this, Sinclair advised coach Bev Priestman that future penalties in the tournament should be taken by midfielder Jessica Fleming. Putting her own self behind her country’s needs.
Canada would finally defeat the United States team in the semi-final and would finally win the Olympic Games gold medal.
No Women’s Pro League In Canada
Following the gold medal victory at the Tokyo Olympic Games, she and a number of other veterans became increasingly vocal about the need to establish a women’s domestic professional league in Canada, arguing that it was essential to all the national team to keep pace with rival teams and to create more opportunities for the nation’s female players. Sinclair described it as “a disaster to not have a professional league in the country that just won the Olympic Games.” How Canadian women have maintained their top ten ranking in the world has long been a mystery to me minus a women’s professional league.
Asked #CanWNT’s Christine Sinclair how much blame the CSA should get for #CAN’s lack of preparation going into to the #FIFAWWC and early exit. pic.twitter.com/VgVrhiptHk
— Har Journalist (@HarJournalist) July 31, 2023
As for myself, I have long supported the Canadian Women’s National Team over the men’s side for a very long time. They deserve to have a home for them to play games here in Canada rather than seeing Christine Sinclair play for Portland Thorns. The Canadian Women’s National Team scores goals, unlike our men’s team.
Christine Sinclair’s Final Words
“I just love them all. You’re gonna make me cry. We go through everything together,” Christine Sinclair told TSN’s Claire Hanna. “Winning and losing, it’s all part of the game. It’s why we love this sport.” Her leadership and her skills on and off the pitch make Christine Sinclair a hero of mine and many others in Canada. “We’ve always said that we’re a family, and we do it together. Whether we win an Olympic gold medal or lose in the group stage of a World Cup, we do it together.”
Christine Sinclair
She has already been featured on a postage stamp prior to Canada hosting the Women’s World Cup in 2015. Sinclair has also been honored on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2013 and was given the Order Of Canada in 2018 where she said about the honor, “I am a very, very proud Canadian, I am proud of where I am from, and to be recognized in this nature is surreal. It’s not something you can dream about happening to you. I can dream of winning a World Cup or an Olympic gold medal, and that’s my job, but to have your country recognize you – I don’t even know what to say.”
Well for me all I will say about Christine Sinclair is she has represented herself on and off the pitch with a class and dignity most athletes need to copy.
Thank you so much for the great memories, Christine Sinclair.
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