Former Canada captain Christine Sinclair has signed a one-year contract with the Portland Thorns. Sinclair leaves the field after Canada defeated Australia 1-0 in her final international soccer match, in Vancouver, B.C., Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
PORTLAND, Ore. – Former Canada captain Christine Sinclair has signed a one-year contract with the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League.
The deal does not come as a surprise. While the 40-year-old from Burnaby, B.C., called time on her international career last month, Sinclair had said she planned to play one more season with the Thorns.
Sinclair has scored a club record 62 goals in 176 appearances across 11 seasons for the Thorns, including the franchise’s first-ever goal in April 2013. Her 62 goals are the third-most in the NWSL, while her 176 appearances are the seventh-most.
“Sinc has been with this club from the beginning, she is the foundation with which Portland Thorns is built on, and as much as she is a part of the DNA of the Thorns, the Thorns are part of her DNA,” Portland GM Karina LeBlanc, a former Canadian international, said in a statement.
“She has been committed to building this league and this club, and we are thrilled to be able to have her back for another year as we begin this next era in Thorns history.”
Sinclair has led Portland to the NWSL championship in 2013, 2017 and 2022, the NWSL Shield in 2016 and 2021, as well as the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, 2021 Women’s International Champions Cup and 2020 NWSL Community Shield.
“To get the GOAT back in a Thorns jersey for 2024 is fantastic news,” Portland head coach Mike Norris said. “To have Sinc’s experience, qualities and presence is vital for our roster, in both her impact on the field as well as the example she sets for others on a daily basis.”
Sinclair, the world’s all-time international goal-scorer with 190, retired with 331 caps for Canada.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2024.
