So much must go right for a player to be able to decide their last game is indeed their last game.
The exception rather than the rule, a chance to exit on your own terms and truly be celebrated sometimes isn’t even afforded to the greats. But Canada legend Christine Sinclair is one such exception at the end of a career that has defied all expectations.
The world’s greatest international scorer took her bow in a 1-0 victory over Australia on Tuesday with 331 caps and 190 goals to her name. She put in a 58-minute shift before making way for fellow retiring legend Sophie Schmidt.
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Sinclair soaked up the applause of the 48,112-strong crowd, and accepted hugs and adoration from teammates and opponents alike at Vancouver’s BC Place — rebranded “Christine Sinclair Place” for the night. In terms of farewells, the only way it could have gone better was if she had scored.
Sinclair’s retirement is the latest in a string of departures from the women’s game that emphasize a changing of the guard globally. She debuted as a 16-year-old in 2000 and immediately began scoring while wearing her beloved No. 12 — picked in honor of her favourite athlete growing up, Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Roberto Alomar.
The…
