Captain Christine Sinclair, who led Portland to the NWSL championship on the weekend, is returning to the Thorns subsequent season.
The membership introduced Tuesday it has exercised Sinclair’s possibility for 2023. It will mark the eleventh season with Portland for the 39-year-old from Burnaby, B.C.
“Everybody is aware of that Christine Sinclair has been on the centre of this membership’s success because the starting of this league,” Portland basic supervisor Karina LeBlanc, a former Canadian worldwide, mentioned in a press release. “The affect she’s had not solely on our membership and this league, however on the worldwide sport highlights her significance.
Sinclair has been with the Thorns because the membership’s inaugural NWSL season in 2013 and is the membership’s all-time chief in video games performed (157), video games began (152), minutes performed (13,393) and objectives scored (59).
She is certainly one of simply two gamers to rating a objective in yearly of the NWSL and at present ranks second all-time in objectives, sixth in video games began, eighth in minutes performed (13,348) and ninth in video games performed in league historical past.
“Sinc is a foundational member of this staff. Their success is her success, the Thorns and Christine Sinclair are synonymous,” mentioned Thorns coach Rhian Wilkinson, additionally a former Canadian worldwide. “Having Sincy’s management, objective scoring prowess, and normal setting mentality, makes the Portland Thorns higher day-after-day.”
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The Canadian captain performed 14 matches this season, together with 12 begins, with 5 objectives in 990 minutes performed.
Sinclair, a former ahead now enjoying within the midfield, is the NWSL’s all-time chief in playoff minutes (1,022) and playoff appearances (12).
Sinclair has helped Portland win three NWSL titles (2013, 2017, 2022), two NWSL Shields (2016, 2021), the NWSL Fall Series (2020), the NWSL Challenge Cup (2021) and the Women’s International Champions Cup (2021).
Sinclair, who performed her collegiate soccer on the University of Portland, leads all women and men with 190 worldwide objectives. With 317 worldwide appearances, Sinclair is the most-capped lively worldwide footballer amongst women and men — and second-most all time to American Kristine Lilly (354).
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