Christine Sinclair was quietly subbed off at half-time against the Matildas, drawing to a close a monumental World Cup career in a fittingly under-stated fashion.
abc.net.au/news/canada-womens-world-cup-exit-christine-sinclair-quiet-bow/102674674It happened with minimal fuss: a brief announcement at half-time, drowned out in the hum of the crowd, and a screen in the corner of the stadium showing her name, hidden in a list of three others, that flashed for a few moments and then was gone.
It was, in its own way, a fitting denouement for Sinclair; a player who has never drawn attention to herself, and would probably prefer to keep it that way. "From the ecstasy of two summers ago, winning gold, to losing tonight... as painful as it is, it's part of sport, and you have to be able to accept the losses the same way you accept the wins.
She scored again against Japan to help Canada qualify for the knock-outs, and made it all the way to the final four before being bundled out 2-1 by Sweden and then losing the third-place play-off to the USA. She holds the record for the most goals scored by a woman at a single Olympics with six, which she scored in 2012, including a hat-trick in the bronze medal match which saw them defeat the USA 4-3.
"When I first started, Mia [Hamm] had the record, and I was like, 'Oh my god, that's so many goals. How does someone reach that?'Sinclair has become synonymous with Canadian football, not just because of her achievements on the field, but also her quiet work to improve the game off it. She appeared before a parliamentary committee in February to speak about pay equity, equal treatment, and other issues that had seen training camps being cancelled, squad and staff sizes reduced, and player payments delayed.
"What comes out loud and clear to me is they are not just fighting for themselves and the next six months. Her teammate Sophie Schmidt, who Sinclair tearfully described as "the heart and soul of the team," has confirmed she will retire when the tournament is over.
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