PORTLAND, Oregon — In her final professional match in Portland, and her 200th and final regular-season appearance, Christine Sinclair showcased exactly why such a big celebration was held in her honor.
It only took the Canadian legend 16 minutes to give the 23,212 fans in attendance exactly what they had come hoping to see: one more goal at home scored in classic Sinclair fashion.
With rain pouring down on the stereotypically Pacific Northwest Friday night, Sinclair was perfectly positioned in the box to take possession of a rebound. She appeared to miss her window of opportunity as Angel City FC defenders recovered. But, ever composed in front of the goal, Sinclair remained unfazed in the biggest moment and was able to deftly chip the ball over the recovering goalkeeper and defenders.
“There’s no way to properly retire a legend, but she keeps writing the script for everybody here, doesn’t she?,” Thorns head coach Rob Gale remarked after the 3-0 victory over Angel City that clinched Portland’s spot in the playoffs.