The Portland Thorns are preparing to honor Christine Sinclair in the final game of the regular season

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — For all the games, goals and titles, Christine Sinclair's fondest memory of the Thorns is one of her earliest, taking the field in Portland in the very first season of the National Women's Soccer League.

More than 16,000 fans attended the Thorns' home opener at Providence Park in 2013, a harbinger of the sport's popularity in Portland in the years to come.

“It was very special and just something that not many players got to experience in their home parks this inaugural year,” she said. “It was just special and I was so proud to be able to call Portland home in that moment and share it with my teammates because I knew it was possible.”

Sinclair, 41, is retiring from professional football at the end of the season. She will be honored Friday night when the Thorns host Angel City in the final game of the regular season.

It's also an important game. The Thorns need a win or a draw to secure a spot in the playoffs. If they lose to Angel City, they will have to rely on different results.

That means Friday night may not be Sinclair's last game, but it's a way for fans to celebrate the Portland icon just in case. Although Sinclair is a proud Canadian, she played for the University of Portland and has called the city home ever since.

“I think the Thorns have shown the world what is possible when investment is made in women’s sport. And now when you look around the NWSL, the WNBA and professional hockey, it's incredible to see the growth. And I would like to think that Portland had a little beginning of that,” she said. “I’m proud to have been able to witness it and be part of the growth and now be able to pass it on to the next group.”

Sinclair is one of only three active players in the NWSL who have played for the same team since the league's inception in 2013. The other two are Seattle Reign's Jess Fishlock and Lu Barnes.

She helped the Thorns win their first NWSL championship before winning additional titles in 2017 and 2022. On April 13, 2013, she scored Portland's first goal in a game against FC Kansas City.

She scored a club record 65 regular season goals with the team, making her third all-time in the league. She appeared in a Portland record 199 games, including 180 starts.

Friday night's game will be #200.

“It won’t take effect until it’s finished. I'm sure tomorrow night will be emotional and who knows what will happen. But if I'm able to step back and find some peace and quiet, then it will hit me,” she said. “It will hit me on a quiet morning in December and I will look back on it all and be proud.”

Sinclair retired from the Canadian national team last year and finished her international career as the world's leading women's and men's scorer with 190 goals.

Sinclair won a gold medal with Canada at the Tokyo Olympics. She won bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Games.

She is also one of only five players to have competed in six Women's World Cups and one of only three players to have scored in five.

Sinclair, a native of Burnaby, British Columbia, also won NCAA championships with the University of Portland in 2002 and 2005.