Christine Sinclair: Finally Home
Christine Sinclair: Finally Home
For the first time in her illustrious career, she is playing a professional club football match at home, in Vancouver.
When the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) steps on the pitch today at BC Place (aka Christine Sinclair Place), she will get to experience a first: a professional club match at home in Vancouver. In her final season of as a footballer, she has finally come home.
The NWSL was founded in 2012 with players from the US Women’s National Team, Canada Women’s National Team, and Mexico Women’s National Team being part of an allocation process, being asked for their top three choices on where they’d like to play. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Christine Sinclair only listed Portland —and did so three times. She made it clear her intention was to only play in the Rose City.
On September 27, the greatest goalscorer of all time announced her impending retirement from the sport.
"If I'm going to be completely honest, obviously it's overwhelming & amazing to see” said Christine Sinclair. “The support has been incredible & completely out of my comfort zone. Yeah, we'll just go with that.
She has given everything and more to this sport. Her joy, passion, and love for soccer is unrivaled. ‘Sincy’ has been a professional footballer for over two decades and has accomplished everything you could possibly imagine. However, in her 11 years as a Portland Thorn and many more in WPS (Women’s Professional Soccer), Sinclair never got a chance to play in Vancouver outside of international matches for Canada.
"It's special to bring Portland to my Hometown” she said. “Whenever I get to play in Vancouver, It's always special to play in front of family & friends, but this'll be 1st time I get to do it while representing Thorns. It'll be a unique experience."
Now, not only does she get to do it for the Portland Thorns, she will play in front of so family, friends, and supporters. Sinclair said she knows 20 of her closest loved ones will be there supporting her. Harjeet Johal also reported there is over 6,000 expected for tonight’s CONCACAF W Champions Cup match.
“I cant wait to come back to Vancouver” said Sinclair. “When I played my last international game at BC Place, I thought that was it so to come up to Vancouver in my final weeks as a professional player is really a full circle moment.”
Christine Sinclair and the Portland Thorns are going to take on the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite with a spot in the CONCACAF Women’s Champion’s Cup knockout rounds — the path to the first ever Women’s Club World Cup — at stake.
The GOAT is finally back home representing the badge the means everything to her. This moment has been one she has been waiting her whole life for and it’ll actually happen tonight at BC Place at 7pm.
Tonight isn’t just a match, it’s a dream come true for Christine Margaret Sinclair.
Yay, Sinc!
So, Sinc and D'Aquila have futures if they want to play against non-NWSL clubs.