Thorns FC Exercise 2023 Option for Christine Sinclair
November 1, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Portland Thorns FC News Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Thorns FC today announced that the club has exercised midfielder Christine Sinclair’s option for the 2023 season. It will mark Sinclair’s 11th season with Portland.
“Everybody knows that Christine Sinclair has been at the center of this club’s success since the beginning of this league. The impact she’s had not only on our club and this league, but on the global game highlights her importance. She is a leader who inspires all those around her to be better, while constantly striving to be a top-class professional day in and day out,” Thorns FC general manager Karina LeBlanc shared. “Throughout this process it was clear that Christine wanted to remain in Portland, and we are thrilled that she will be returning for the 2023 season.”
A member of Thorns FC since the club’s inaugural NWSL season in 2013, Sinclair is the club’s all-time leader in games played (157), games started (152), minutes played (13,393) and goals scored (59). In the NWSL, she is one of just two players to score a goal in every year of the league and currently ranks second all-time in goals, sixth in games started, eighth in minutes played (13,348) and ninth in games played in league history.
“Sinc is a foundational member of this team. Their success is her success, the Thorns and Christine Sinclair are synonymous,” Rhian Wilkinson, Thorns FC head coach said. “Having Sincy’s leadership, goal scoring prowess, and standard setting mentality, makes the Portland Thorns better every day.”
In the 2022 campaign, Sinclair played 14 matches (12 starts), registering five goals in 990 minutes logged for Portland. The Canadian midfielder also helped Thorns FC clinch their sixth consecutive playoff berth and eighth playoff appearance overall out of nine regular seasons, leading Portland to its league-best third NWSL Championship title. With two playoff appearances in the 2022 postseason, Sinclair became the NWSL’s all-time leader in playoff minutes with 1,022 minutes as well as playoff appearances (12).
During her tenure with Thorns FC, Sinclair has helped the club win three NWSL Championships (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). Individually, she is a two-time NWSL Best XI Second Team selection (2013, 2018), was Portland’s Most Valuable Player in 2013, the club’s 2017 Golden Boot award recipient, and the Supporters’ Player of the Year in 2018.
Sinclair is the world’s all-time leading international goal scorer for men or women with 190 goals, which earned her the ‘Outstanding Career Achievement’ award at The Best FIFA Football Awards in 2021. The Burnaby, BC native is a 14-time winner of Canada’s Soccer Player of the Year Award and Canada’s Player of the Decade from 2010-2019. With 317 international appearances, Sinclair is the most capped active international footballer for men and women, and second-most all time to Kristine Lilly (354).
Entering her 24th international competition year, Sinclair has participated in five FIFA Women’s World Cups (2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019), led Canada to a Concacaf Championship in 2010, and has medaled in three Olympic Games, capturing two bronze medals (2012, 2016) and Canada’s first gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 Games.
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