Canadian soccer fans owe Sinclair a farewell tour

The Christine Sinclair Farewell Tour is underway.

Although if things had gone as she originally planned, the long-time Canadian captain would have avoided the spotlight.

When Canadian goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé retired last year, she was the centre of attention for Canada’s match in Vancouver that was part of the Celebration Tour, a series of friendlies at home in honour of the team capturing gold at the Tokyo Olympics

I asked Sinclair at that time if she had given any thought about how she would like to retire.

“Honestly, I would like absolutely none of what Steph is experiencing,” she told me. “That's just so not me. I seriously think I'm going to be the person that just retires quietly and [you] never see me again,” she said with a smile.

“You realize that’s never going to happen though, right?” I asked.

“I understand that, but I can wish, right? I can dream,” she laughed.

And so, here we are. Four games remain to honour the greatest Canadian soccer player ever.

The Canadian women’s national team is set to play two friendlies against Brazil, beginning on Saturday in Montreal, followed by a match in Halifax on Tuesday.

The squad will then play Australia in a pair of friendlies in British Columbia in December, including Sinclair’s final match for her country in Vancouver on Dec. 5.

Sinclair almost had her quick exit from the stage. After Canada’s disappointing finish at this summer’s World Cup, she was adamant that those would not be her last games for her country. She told head coach Bev Priestman that she wanted to help get this team to next year’s Olympics.

So, she was named to the roster for Canada’s Olympic qualifiers against Jamaica. She subbed into the match in Toronto to a huge ovation. After the final whistle rang around BMO Field and Canadian players celebrated a return to the Olympic stage, Sinclair was visibly emotional.

“I thought that was going to be it, and I was going to walk off and not say a word and just be done,” Sinclair admitted to the media on Thursday. “But then there were rumours of four games being played in Canada, and my friends and family convinced me – you can't just leave. You owe it to yourself, you owe it to Canada to come out and play these games.”

So much of that sentiment epitomises who Sinclair is and who she has been since she made her national team debut as a 16-year-old in March 2000. Someone who still, more than 20 years and 190 international goals later, believes she has a debt to her country to be paid.

But it’s quite the opposite.

It would have been a shame if Sinclair had simply walked off that field in Toronto, but not because she owes us anything.

This country will forever be indebted to this humble woman from Burnaby, B.C. A player who gave it her all every time she stepped on the pitch in the Canadian kit. A captain who lifted the level of her teammates, simply because they saw her tireless dedication and refused to give anything less.

A dominant player who has scored more international goals than any other person in the world, but still downplays her legacy.

“I think when I'm actually done playing, I’ll look back on that. I'm just proud have been a part of the growth of women's football around the world and obviously here in Canada,” she said.

A global icon who accepted the spotlight, but never sought it. A true leader, who would much prefer to gloat about her teammates’ accomplishments than talk about herself, but who also understands the burden of being in the public eye.

“I wouldn't want to put that on any player,” Sinclair responded when asked who might be her heir apparent. “It's so hard to put that amount of pressure on people and young kids coming up. So, I'm not going to pick out a name. I just know that the future this team is in great hands.”

While she may not speak much, Sinclair has always understood the power of her voice, especially as she approached the end of her career. A champion for gender equality, she is adamant that though her playing career may be coming to an end, that battle is far from over.

“I’m always up for the fight,” she said.

And even though it was her self-described dream to fade into the background (and calls a Megan Rapinoe-type retirement tour her “nightmare”), Sinclair is up for these final games.

“I do realize it's going to be a special night,” she said. “This is a great opportunity to play four games across Canada and for me to be able to say thank you to the fans that have supported me throughout my career.”

More importantly, it’s an opportunity for fans across the country to thank Sinclair.