Christine Sinclair went out the way she wanted to. With a win.
But there were also tears, a bumper crowd of 48,112, and a little Celine Dion on Tuesday. In the wake of Canada’s 1-0 win over Australia in Sinclair’s farewell international game, one Canadian icon played out another.
Current and former Canadian players joined the 40-year-old from Burnaby, B.C., on the field in a circle for a singalong to Dion’s “The Power of Love.” Sinclair then moved toward the stands to bang a drum, leading a Viking clap in front of the fans.
Sinclair did not speak to the media after the game, restricting her comments to a pair of TV interviews.
“Honestly just joy,” Sinclair said when asked what she would remember about the night. “I’ve done everything I can on this national team. I’m 100 per cent satisfied and content. And to go out with a win in front of my friends, in front of my family, honestly, it’s been the perfect night.”
Sinclair helped Canada get the win in her international swansong, wiping away pre-game tears to help set up the game’s lone goal in the 40th minute.
Sinclair rose to head a Jessie Fleming corner across the goal. The ball went to defender Kadeisha Buchanan whose shot banged off the crossbar. A waiting Quinn, who goes by one name, headed it home for their sixth goal in 95 Canadian appearances.
“The set play, we designed that to try and get her (Sinclair) the goal,” said Canada coach Bev Priestman. “But it ultimately set up the goal, regardless.”
Quinn was the ultimate benefactor.
“Sinc saying `Thank you for scoring for me tonight’ is something I’ll remember for a long time,” they said.
Sinclair gave way to 35-year-old Sophie Schmidt of Abbotsford, B.C., in the 58th minute, marking the end of a glittering international career that produced a world-record 190 goals and a legion of fans.
Teammates embraced her on the field as the enthusiastic crowd stood and cheered. Sinclair handed the captain’s armband to Schmidt and hugged her longtime friend before applauding the crowd and embracing Priestman.
Sinclair leaves having made 331 senior appearances, including 313 starts and played 27,601 minutes for Canada.
Only retired American Kristine Lilly has more international caps to her credit with 354. No man or woman has more international goals.
The talismanic Sinclair, a role model on and off the field, has been the face of Canadian soccer for years – an unassuming star with no taste for the spotlight. But she was front and centre Tuesday, tearing up in a pre-game ceremony that also honoured Schmidt and goalkeeper Erin McLeod.
B.C. Place Stadium was renamed Christine Sinclair Place for the night, lit up with neon Canadian flags on the outside.
“Thank you for inspiring all of us,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a pre-game social media post. “Your impact on the game, and on sports in Canada, is something we’ll be celebrating for quite some time.”
Australia, fielding a far stronger squad than the experimental lineup thumped 5-0 Friday in Langford, B.C., came forward from the get-go with Canada looking to threaten on the counterattack.
The 10th-ranked Canadians grew into the game as the first half wore on.
Sinclair started up front but, as is her wont, routinely moved back to help the defence. She showed a nice touch early, pivoting to keep the ball away from an Australian before passing it to a teammate.
The crowd rose as one in the 12th minute to honour Sinclair, who wears No. 12. Australia almost scored during the ovation, with goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan getting to a loose ball in the penalty box first.
A Sinclair cross almost produced another goal. Canada defender Vanessa Gilles scored in the first half but the goal was called off due to a foul.
Australia, ranked 11th in the world, came close in the 47th minute with Buchanan heading away a ball destined for goal off a corner. A minute later at the other end, goalkeeper Teagan Micah got to the ball just before an onrushing Sinclair did.
Nichelle Prince almost made it 2-0 in the 66th minute, using her speed to outpace a defender only to put her shot just wide.
Sheridan led Canada out as the teams took the field.
Ten members of the 2012 bronze-medallist team, including Karina LeBlanc, Diana Matheson, Marie-Eve Nault, Carmelina Moscato, Desiree Scott and Melissa Tancredi, formed an honour guard to welcome their three former teammates to the pitch.
McLeod came out first, followed by a beaming Schmidt. Sinclair came out last, accompanied by nieces Kaitlyn and Kenzie to a standing ovation. Sinclair, who seemed to be fighting back tears, tapped her heart in recognition of the welcome.
The three players were presented with framed jerseys by Canada Soccer president Charmaine Crooks and Jason deVos, Canada Soccer’s acting general secretary.
“You are truly a national treasure,” said former star speedskater Catriona Le May Doan.
Sinclair wiped her eyes and hugged her nieces, who were crying, after a tribute video played on the giant scoreboard above.
“I don’t think you could do any more to send them off,” said Priestman. “I think we gave some absolute legends an unbelievable sendoff.”
Sinclair’s name was greeted with a roar when the starting lineups were announced over the PA system. And the Canadians exited the field after the warm-up to Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” part of Sinclair’s pre-game playlist since her days at the University of Portland.
Sinclair said Sunday she had requested 145 tickets for friends and family – and was running out. Her brother Mike said there were 43 family members alone.
Canada Soccer said the attendance was the largest-ever for a women’s national team friendly in Canada. It was well above the Vancouver Whitecaps MLS attendance record of 30,204 fans at B.C. Place set a month earlier in a 1-0 playoff loss to Los Angeles FC.
Canada Soccer said it was the seventh-largest crowd ever for a Canadian national soccer team game.
The Canadian women played before an announced crowd of 54,027 at B.C. Place at the 2015 World Cup when they lost 2-1 to England in the quarterfinal. Sinclair, Schmidt and McLeod all started that day.
Sinclair and the Canadians took the pitch for their pre-game warm-up to the sounds of Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love.” Sinclair wore a jersey with No. 13 – Schmidt’s number – while her teammates wore No. 12.
Priestman said Sinclair didn’t tell anyone she was going to wear Schmidt’s number in the warm-up.
“That to me, in that moment, that absolutely epitomizes her,” Priestman said of her captain. “She knows the world’s watching her and she doesn’t want her teammate to get forgotten. I thought that was absolute class.”
There were plenty more No. 12 jerseys in the stands. And a giant No. 1 and 2 came out before kickoff, flanking a tifo, or large banner image, of Sinclair, as well as signs saying “Greatest of all time.”
A pair of bespoke boots arrived earlier in the day for Sinclair from Nike’s Italian factory, complete with the No. 185 – her record-setting goal scored Jan. 29, 2024, in an 11-0 romp over St. Kitts and Nevis at the CONCACAF Olympic Women’s Qualifier in Edinburg, Texas – and other personal details.
Canada Soccer said more than 20 Canada Soccer Hall of Famers and more than 50 former internationals were on hand to witness Sinclair’s farewell.
It was also Schmidt’s final Canada outing – and 226th cap. The midfielder, retired from international football after this summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand but came back to time her on-field departure with her longtime friend and oft roommate on the road.
The 40-year-old McLeod, who was a spectator Tuesday, retired in January after 119 international appearances.
Sinclair was 16 when she made her senior debut on March 12, 2000, in a 4-0 loss to China, opening her senior account two days later in a 2-1 loss to Norway.
In the years since however, she has won a trio of Olympic medals, gold, bronze and bronze, been named Canada Player of the Year 14 times and played at six World Cups, scoring in five of them.
Sinclair plans to play one more season with her club team, the NWSL’s Portland Thorns. Schmidt (Houston Dash) and McLeod (Iceland’s Stjarnan FC) also plan to continue club football.
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Lucas Raymond to an eight-year, $64.6 million contract Monday, completing a deal with one of their best young players less than 72 hours before training camp begins.
Raymond will count $8.075 million against the salary cap through 2032. The 22-year-old was a restricted free agent without a contract for the upcoming NHL season and was coming off setting career highs with 31 goals, 41 assists and 72 points.
The Red Wings have another one of those in defenceman Moritz Seider, who won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2021-22.
Detroit is looking to end an eight-year playoff drought dating to the Original Six franchise’s last appearance in 2016.
Raymond, a Swede who was the fourth pick in 2020, has 174 points in 238 games since breaking into the league.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kirk Cousins led a flawless last-minute drive for Atlanta and connected with Drake London for a 7-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left to give the Falcons a 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
Saquon Barkley dropped a short pass that stopped the clock with 1:46 left and forced the Eagles to settle for a field goal instead of a game-sealing first down. That was plenty of time for Cousins — especially against an Eagles defense playing soft coverage with a nonexistent pass rush.
The 36-year-old veteran, playing his second game since tearing his Achilles tendon last Oct. 29 while playing for Minnesota, shook off an uneven effort and hit Darnell Mooney for 21 and 26 yards on consecutive plays during the decisive drive.
Cousins found London on a short pass to his right for the tying score, and Younghoe Koo put Atlanta (1-1) on top with a 48-yard extra point after London was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The go-ahead drive took just 65 seconds.
Jalen Hurts had his final pass intercepted by Jessie Bates III to seal Atlanta’s win and set off a wild celebration on the sideline.
The Eagles (1-1) went ahead on Hurts’ 1-yard tush push score with 6:47 left. Barkley finished with 95 yards on 22 carries in his home debut for Philadelphia, but his drop provided the Falcons with some hope.
And then Cousins started playing like the QB Atlanta thought it was getting when it signed him to a four-year, $180 million contract.
Cousins finished 20 of 29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Atlanta’s first TD was a 41-yarder from Cousins to Mooney, who finished with three catches for 88 yards.
Hurts was 23 of 30 for 183 yards, including a touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. With No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown out with a hamstring injury, Smith led the Eagles with seven catches for 76 yards and a score.
Jake Elliott kicked two field goals for the Eagles. His 28-yarder with 1:39 left made it 21-15.
Atlanta kept stalling in the red zone, getting three field goals from Koo, before Cousins fired over the middle to Mooney, who shook loose from C.J. Gardner-Johnson and left him on the turf before he somersaulted into the end zone with 1:21 left in the third quarter for a 15-10 lead. Cousins failed on the 2-point conversion pass.
Hurts had some juice in his step during a second-quarter TD drive, running with abandon for big plays much like he did in the 2022 season. He spiked the ball in a rare, raw show of emotion on a 23-yard run, earning a delay-of-game penalty. He shrugged off the 5-yard setback and scrambled for 9 yards and 15 yards to move the Eagles to Atlanta’s 19.
With comedian Shane Gillis and actor Bradley Cooper among the fans cheering on the Eagles, Hurts connected with Smith in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard TD that made it 7-3.
Under new defensive coordinator Vince Fangio, the Eagles have established an early knack for allowing long drives that end with three points instead of seven. Koo kicked field goals of 39, 22 and 34 yards, the last one enough for a 9-7 lead in the third quarter. In their opener, the Eagles held the Packers to just three field goals when they drove inside the 20.
Questionable call
Rather than take a chip-shot field goal from Elliott, the Eagles’ fourth-and-4 gamble at Atlanta’s 9-yard line in the first quarter failed when Hurts threw an incomplete pass.
Elliott kicked a 29-yarder with 4:31 left in the third quarter for a 10-9 lead.
Running wild
Bijan Robinson ran for 97 yards for the Falcons. The Eagles stuffed him late on fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 39.
Barkley was quiet until the go-ahead drive, a week after he rushed for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns against Green Bay. Eagles fans booed when the opening drive of the game ended without Barkley touching the ball. They went wild when he had consecutive 9-yard runs to open the second drive. Barkley had 40 yards rushing in the first half.
Foles honored
Former Eagles QB Nick Foles, who led the franchise to its only Super Bowl title, served as an honorary captain and led the crowd in a rendition of “Fly, Eagles, Fly.”
Injuries
The Falcons played without LB Nate Landman (calf, quad).
Up next
Atlanta hosts Super Bowl champion Kansas City on Sunday.
TORONTO – Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada’s five-player lineup when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in mid-November.
The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour’s singles rankings.
Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.
Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., returns after a breakout performance last year, capped by her singles win in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is also back and Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., returns to the squad for the first time since 2022.
“Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis,” Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a release. “Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.
“At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we’ll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year’s finals.”
Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada’s first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.
Canada, which received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play the winner of the first-round tie between Great Britain and Germany on Nov. 17 at Malaga’s Martin Carpena Arena.
Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czechia also received first-round byes. The tournament, which continues through Nov. 20, also includes host Spain, Slovakia, the United States, Poland, Japan and Romania.
Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.
Canada will look to become the first team since Czechia in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.
Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
