Meaghen Johnson: Christine Sinclair is about to have her final moment in the spotlight

In the coming weeks we will see Christine Sinclair leave the football field for the last time.

We just don't know exactly when.

On Friday, nearly a year after Sinclair retired from international play, the Portland Thorns will honor the star forward in the team's regular-season finale.

There's also the possibility that Friday could be Sinclair's final football game ever.

Last month, she announced that she would retire from professional soccer at the end of the current National Women's Soccer League season. The Thorns are tied for seventh place entering the final week of the regular season, tied with Bay FC on 31 points and three points ahead of ninth-place Racing Louisville. The top eight teams in the league qualify for the playoffs.

Although nothing is guaranteed, Portland takes over this weekend – a single point would secure the club's 10th all-time playoff spot, an NWSL record. Even a defeat could see them progress if the results of the Bay FC or Racing finals are in the Thorns' favour.

All of this makes for an anticlimactic atmosphere when it comes to saying a final goodbye to Sinclair.

Is it coming on Friday? Perhaps a major double whammy for Thorns fans with playoff elimination. Or it could happen when the playoffs begin next week. Or the week after that. Or it might not happen until the end of next month if the Thorns make it to the NWSL Championship.

And then there's the feeling of déjà vu, because yes, technically this is Sinclair's second retirement.

Last December, Sinclair wore the Canadian colors one final time in a friendly against Australia. In front of nearly 50,000 fans at Vancouver's BC Place (renamed Christine Sinclair Place for the occasion), the Burnaby, B.C. native left the field for the Canadian national team one last time, replacing long-time teammate Sophie Schmidt in the 57th minute .

In many ways, it is out of character for Sinclair, always a model of humility, to retire twice, especially compared to some other recent high-profile players whose retirement tours have been like Groundhog Day. American striker Carli Lloyd announced her retirement in August 2021 and every game over the next three months for both Gotham FC and the US national team fell under the umbrella of the “Carli Lloyd Farewell Tour”.

Sinclair would have preferred to simply disappear from the public eye and walk off the field without notice or recognition.

But perhaps, much to her chagrin, she will have one last moment in the spotlight.

While Sinclair's departure from professional soccer doesn't have the finality of her international farewell (unless Portland plays in the NWSL championship game), let's focus on what we know.

First, let's look at Sinclair's resume from her 25-year career: 190 international goals, the most by a player ever; three Olympic medals, including gold from the Tokyo Games; six World Cup appearances; a second place and the Golden Boot award at the 2002 U-19 Women's World Cup.

Sinclair also has two NCAA titles and two MAC Hermann Awards as the top collegiate player in women's soccer, two Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) titles, three NWSL championships and 65 NWSL regular season goals, the third most of all time.

Based on her accolades alone, she is worthy of a double retirement.

Second, as much as Sinclair is loved by Canadians, she is also loved in Portland. She has been a thorn in the side since the inaugural NWSL season in 2013 and her origin story has become well known in women's soccer circles.

Shortly after the 2012 Olympics, Sinclair was about to board a plane to sign with European giant Paris Saint-Germain when she heard rumblings about not only a new professional women's league in the United States (after WPS after the Olympics gave up in 2011). season), but a team in Portland.

For her the choice was easy. The opportunity to play in Portland was too good to pass up.

Your connection to the city is deep. She had two uncles who played for the Portland Timbers. She played four seasons at the University of Portland, scoring 110 goals in 94 games and two national titles.

Before the NWSL's first season, she and other players were asked to submit a list of their top three candidates for an NWSL club. Once again, Sinclair's choice was easy. She submitted her list of three clubs: Portland. Portland. Portland.

Although Sinclair has played all over the world, her hometown of Burnaby will always be close to her heart. And right next to it is Portland.

She has spoken at length about her love for her home away from home. She repeats the joke from the TV show Portlandia that young people retire in Portland. But it's easy to see why Sinclair fell in love with Portland, with its laid-back vibe reminiscent of Vancouver.

Sinclair still remembers walking out to her first home game at Providence Park as the fan group, the Rose City Riveters, filled the stands as the team warmed up. In the NWSL's inaugural season, Portland averaged just over 13,000 fans in attendance, nearly three times more than the next closest team.

“I knew what was possible in this city and I knew how much the fans love football,” Sinclair said.

While Friday may not mark the final finale for Sinclair, it is an opportunity for Portland fans to honor Sinclair for all she has given the city for over a decade. Regardless of the outcome of the game, Friday will be Sinclair's final time on the court at Providence Park and her final opportunity to accept a celebratory rose from the fan base.

The past year has felt a little different when it comes to Sinclair's impact on club and country. Canada has a new captain, Jessie Fleming. Last summer, the national team played its first major tournament without Sinclair since 1999 at the Paris Olympics.

Even in Portland, Sinclair is no longer the center of attention. American forward Sophia Smith leads the team with 11 goals and six assists. Becky Sauerbrunn has worn the captain's armband for most of the season (although Sinclair was still captain of her team, especially in the final games).

In some ways, it must have felt like a dream season for Sinclair. She has always tried to avoid the limelight. That's not easy when you're the top scorer in the world.

At 41, she was able to go about her business in peace, perhaps for the first time in her career. And even though her time on the court has been cut short, she is still delivering moments.

Earlier this month, in her penultimate game at Providence Park, she helped Portland to a 2-0 win over the then-undefeated Orlando Pride and kept the Thorns in the playoff race with a beautiful strike from inside the box.

Four days after that goal, Sinclair played one final game in Vancouver as the Thorns traveled to BC Place to face the Whitecaps Girls Elite team in the CONCACAF W Champions Cup.

There is no doubt that Canadian soccer fans – not to mention Sinclair himself – believed that the Dec. 5 game for Canada was the last time Sinclair would lead her team onto the field at BC Place. However, as a surprise bonus, she was given another chance with her beloved Thorns and captained her team to victory, including a final goal on Canadian soil.

Her career is full of such moments for both Canada and Portland. And they are always supported by an unwavering humility and an undeniable commitment to never accept anything less than the best of herself, not because she craves the spotlight, but because her drive to help her team succeed is unmatched.

So yes, Canadian fans, Portland fans and soccer fans in general, get ready to say goodbye to a legend — even if we don't know exactly when his career swan song will take place, and even if you already said goodbye last year .

Because that's what she deserves.