End of Eras

Christine Sinclair is arguably the greatest female soccer player in history. Americans will reasonably counter with Mia Hamm or Abby Wambach or Michelle Akers. Brazilians will submit Marta for consideration. China says Sun Wen, Japan gives us Homare Sawa, Spain will ask us to wait a few years on Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati, and none of them would be wrong. It's an argument, after all, not a definitive statement. 

The Canadian forward announced her retirement from the game a few weeks ago, and her Portland Thorns squad's loss last night to NY/NJ Gotham FC marked her final top-flight competitive club match. She'll play a couple of games with her national team before the end of the year, which will serve as a celebratory sendoff for a player who really doesn't love the limelight. 

Returning the argument, because sports, consider her bona fides. Over her international career, Sinclair scored 190 goals in 329 matches, by far the most of any player ever. The all-time leader among men, Cristiano Ronaldo, has scored 127 goals. After tallying 110 goals in 94 collegiate matches for Portland, Sinclair scored another 113 club goals in 266 matches for five clubs across three leagues.

Sinclair has an Olympic gold medal and two bronzes. She's one of a very few players to have participated in six World Cups, and one of only three to have scored in five (Marta and Cristiano Ronaldo are the others). She, more than any other player, is responsible for Canada's ascendance into the world's elite women's soccer countries.

Because she's Canadian, and notoriously shy, we haven't heard as much about Sinclair as perhaps her on-field exploits would warrant. And I'm guessing that's the way she'd want it.

As Sinclair exits the world stage, so too do a pair of Americans, both of whom have lived in the spotlight in ways far different from their Canadian contemporary. 

Sinclair's Portland Thorns team's loss to Gotham FC means that Ali Krieger gets one more game before hanging up her boots. In a bit of the kind of poetry that sports seems to give us when we need it, Krieger and Gotham will kick off against OL Reign in the NWSL Championship on Saturday evening in San Diego. Megan Rapinoe will be playing for OL Reign in her final competitive match alongside her long-time USWNT teammate and friend.

Krieger has received less press attention than the magnetic Rapinoe, but she's been a pioneer starting from when she became one of the first American women to play in Europe, competing for FC Frankfurt in Germany from 2007-2012. The Penn State graduate (who played for the same youth club that I did - which is nice) went on to earn 108 caps for the United States, winning World Cups in 2015 and 2019. 

In addition to her on-field trailblazing, Krieger was one of the first female athletes to openly celebrate her same-sex marriage. She and USWNT teammate Ashlyn Harris married in 2019 to much celebration. The two recently announced their divorce, which has led to a very public taking of sides by the women's sports community, nearly all of whom are lining up behind Krieger.

Including Rapinoe, one of sports' most unapologetic lightning rods. The 38 year-old midfielder earned 203 caps and scored 63 goals for her country. As excellent as she's been on the pitch (and for a time she was probably the best in the world at taking free kicks and serving crosses from the wing - see below for one of the most amazing goals you'll ever want to watch), Rapinoe's arguably made a bigger impact on the world stage by refusing to be anyone other than Megan Rapinoe. Fearless, fucks-given-less, and outspoken, she's given a generation of women, queer people, and 'others' a voice, and she's freaked out a whole lot of normies in the process. Not always right, not always appropriate, but always authentic. 

The NWLS Championship will mark a turning of the page for the league and the sport. I have no doubt that Rapinoe (and her wife, Sue Bird) and Krieger will continue to be a large presence on the American sporting scene. And I expect Christine Sinclair to operate more quietly to continue to advance the game. All three walk off the stage as legends. Much respect.