Canadian soccer star Christine Sinclair smiles during a media availability in Vancouver, B.C. on Feb. 11, 2020.
JONATHAN HAYWARD/The Canadian Press
Through a variety of circumstances, Christine Sinclair finds herself in Florida these days. But as she weathers the COVID-19 lockdown, her heart remains in Canada.
And the global pandemic strikes close to home for the native of Burnaby, B.C. Her mother, who has multiple sclerosis, lives in a care facility in suburban Vancouver.
“There are no known cases where she is at, so that’s positive,” said Sinclair.
The Canada soccer captain is particularly grateful for all those on the frontline during the pandemic. But she knows that everyone can do their part.
“For a lot of people, that means actually doing something pretty simple – staying at home.” she said. “Even as difficult as that is at times. I know for me why I do it and my family does it is for people like my mom. Those are the vulnerable people in society right now.”
“It’s about saving lives,” she added.
The world’s leading international goal-scorer is showing her support and appreciation through the Canadian Olympic Committee’s “We Are All Team Canada” campaign.
“My family and I are thankful for the heroes who are risking it all to keep us safe. Now more than ever,” Sinclair tweeted alongside a photo of a homemade Maple Leaf sign and those of her two nieces.
“They’re all about art and helping out,” Sinclair said proudly. “They thought it was pretty special.”
Sinclair joins the likes of hockey icon Hayley Wickenheiser, basketball star Kia Nurse, former news anchor Peter Mansbridge, trampoline gymnast Rosie MacLennan and music’s Arkells in posting motivational messages to flatten the curve and show appreciation.
“It’s time for us to unite and work together even though we are apart,” the COC says in explaining the campaign. “It’s time for us to show our support for Canada and all those who are making sacrifices to make a difference.”
The COC calls Sinclair “the perfect ambassador for this campaign given her selfless nature and the enduring qualities she’s exhibited on the soccer field.”
The 36-year-old Sinclair ended up in Florida via Charlie, her Pomeranian dog which she had entrusted to a friend while on international duty with Canada.
After playing in the Tournoi de France March 4-10 in Calais, she flew back to Florida to reunite with Charlie and spend a few days in the sun before returning home to Portland, Ore., where she captains the NWSL Thorns.
Because France was a COVID-19 hot spot, she had to go into 14-day self-isolation upon landing in North America. Then the pandemic descended.
“I didn’t want to have to travel until I had to. I’m in a pretty good place here,” said Sinclair. “And you could just see that the NWSL (pre-season) training was going to stop and (the season) was going to get postponed.”
She hadn’t been home in Portland since December due to the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship in Texas and California and the tournament in France.
“So I’m in Florida,” she said. “Which isn’t a bad place to be, with the weather. It’s actually helped a lot … It’s definitely nice to be running in 35-degree (Celsius) weather.”
The Thorns were due to open the season last Saturday against Utah Royals FC with a game this weekend in Chicago against the Red Stars.
Adding to her record goals haul is on hold for the moment. Sinclair has 186 career goals, surpassing retired American striker Abby Wambach’s world record of 184 on Jan. 29 at the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament.
Having led Canada to back-to-back bronze medals at the Olympics, Sinclair still has her eye on Tokyo despite the games being pushed back to 2021. When news of the postponement came, her immediate thought was “OK, we’ve got another year to get better.”
“Because there’s some gaps in our team right now compared to the best teams in the world,” Sinclair said of her eighth-ranked squad. “It just gives us a chance to get better.”
She was quick to connect with her Canadian teammates via their chat group.
“Ideally we didn’t want to be preparing for the Olympics in apartments or trying to find random grass patches in cities. It just wasn’t ideal,” she said.
“Yes, I was very proud of the COC for kicking the sands as they did. And I’m also glad the Olympics actually got postponed because it’s the only thing that made sense.”
In the meantime, Sinclair is training in the Sunshine State until the NWSL gives the green light for the pre-season to start.
“It’s been a weird opportunity to probably get fitter,” she said. “I’m probably more of a runner now after the past six weeks, which isn’t the most fun but I’ve definitely put in the work.”
And three times a week she takes part in video workouts with the national team under the guidance of strength and conditioning coach Cesar Meylan.
“And then in terms of soccer I have been kicked off fields here in Tampa along with Tom Brady,” she said with a laugh, referencing the Tampa Bay star quarterback who was asked to leave a closed park while doing an off-season workout.
“But I have found a couple little grass patches that seem OK, so I’ve been able to take balls out and stuff like that. Just trying to make the most of it.”
While not working out, Sinclair has done some binge-watching – like everyone else.
“I am embarrassed to admit that I watched ‘Tiger King,“’ she said.
Sinclair also made her way through “Manhunt,” finishing the second season in one night.
That’s impressive, she was told. “That’s pathetic,” she replied with a laugh.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe remain undefeated in women’s doubles at the WTA Finals.
The 2023 U.S. Open champions, seeded second at the event, secured a 1-6, 7-6 (1), (11-9) super-tiebreak win over fourth-seeded Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in round-robin play on Tuesday.
The season-ending tournament features the WTA Tour’s top eight women’s doubles teams.
Dabrowski and Routliffe lost the first set in 22 minutes but levelled the match by breaking Errani’s serve three times in the second, including at 6-5. They clinched victory with Routliffe saving a match point on her serve and Dabrowski ending Errani’s final serve-and-volley attempt.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will next face fifth-seeded Americans Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk on Thursday, where a win would secure a spot in the semifinals.
The final is scheduled for Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Nov. 5, 2024.
EDMONTON – Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his career as the New Jersey Devils closed out their Western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored for the Devils (8-5-2) who have won three of their last four on the heels on a four-game losing skid.
The Oilers (6-6-1) had their modest two-game winning streak snapped.
Calvin Pickard made 13 stops between the pipes for Edmonton.
TAKEAWAYS
Devils: In addition to his goal, Bratt picked up his 12th assist of the young season to give him nine points in his last eight games and now 15 points overall. Nico Hischier remains in the team lead, picking up an assist of his own to give him 16 points for the campaign. He has a point in all but four games this season.
Oilers: Forward Leon Draisaitl was held pointless after recording six points in his previous two games and nine points in his previous four. Draisaitl usually has strong showings against the Devils, coming into the contest with an eight-game point streak against New Jersey and 11 goals in 17 games.
KEY MOMENT
New Jersey took a 2-0 lead on the power play with 3:26 remaining in the second period as Hischier made a nice feed into the slot to Bratt, who wired his third of the season past Pickard.
KEY RETURN?
Oilers star forward and captain Connor McDavid took part in the optional morning skate for the Oilers, leading to hopes that he may be back sooner rather than later. McDavid has been expected to be out for two to three weeks with an ankle injury suffered during the first shift of last Monday’s loss in Columbus.
OILERS DEAL FOR D-MAN
The Oilers have acquired defenceman Ronnie Attard from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Ben Gleason.
The 6-foot-3 Attard has spent the past three season in the Flyers organization seeing action in 29 career games. The 25-year-old right-shot defender and Western Michigan University grad was originally selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Attard will report to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.
UP NEXT
Devils: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Oilers: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt pounded into the end zone from two yards out in overtime to give the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs a 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
DeAndre Hopkins had two touchdown receptions for the Chiefs (8-0), who drove through the rain for two fourth-quarter scores to take a 24-17 lead with 4:17 left. But then Kansas City watched as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs the other way in the final minute, hitting Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds to go in regulation time.
Tampa Bay (4-5) elected to kick the extra point and force overtime, rather than go for a two-point conversion and the win. And it cost the Buccaneers when Mayfield called tails and the coin flip was heads. Mahomes and the Chiefs took the ball, he was 5-for-5 passing on their drive in overtime, and Hunt finished his 106-yard rushing day with the deciding TD plunge.
Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards with girlfriend Taylor Swift watching from a suite, and Hopkins finished with eight catches for 86 yards as the Chiefs ran their winning streak to 14 dating to last season. They became the sixth Super Bowl champion to start 8-0 the following season.
Mayfield finished with 200 yards and two TDs passing for the Bucs, who have lost four of their last five.
It was a memorable first half for two players who had been waiting to play in Arrowhead Stadium.
The Bucs’ Rachaad White grew up about 10 minutes away in a tough part of Kansas City, but his family could never afford a ticket for him to see a game. He wound up on a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became of a third-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.
Two year later, White finally got into Arrowhead — and the end zone. He punctuated his seven-yard scoring run in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly tossing the football into the second deck.
Then it was Hopkins’ turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City from a trade with the Titans.
The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught four passes, reeled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain inside the Tampa Bay five-yard line. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from “Remember the Titans.”
Tampa Bay tried to seize control with consecutive scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the latest tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin’s 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.
The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter. Mahomes marched them through the rain 70 yards for a tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, and then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal from the Buccaneers’ five-yard line to give Kansas City the lead.
Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out, but its defence got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down field. His capped the drive with a touchdown throw to Miller — his first career TD catch — with 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.
UP NEXT
Buccaneers: Host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
