Sinclair sets new international goals record
185 goals and counting for the Canadian legend
Last Wednesday Christine Sinclair, the Canadian women’s soccer team captain made sports history. After scoring her 185th goal, Sinclair set a new international record for most goals scored, a record previously held by American Abby Wambach. Sinclair’s 185th goal was one of two which she scored during the team’s first match of the CONCACAF championships.
Seven minutes into gameplay, a penalty kick earned Sinclair her first goal, which was followed shortly by a second after an assist from forward Adriana Leon at the 26 minute mark. These two goals contributed to the team’s 11-0 victory over the St. Kitts and Nevis team and enabled Sinclair to tie and then topple Wambach’s previous record. Now, Sinclair is regarded as “the world’s all-time leading scorer,” a significant and extremely well-deserved accomplishment for this talented, passionate, modest and inspirational athlete (as quoted on a CBC online article).
For the past 20 years, Sinclair has impressed the world with her skill and “inspired many people and players along the way.” I’ve always been amazed by Sinclair’s performance and a similar attitude is emphasized by third year University of Regina soccer player, Taylor Bubnick. “It [is] always exciting to watch her play.” She has “a type of magic that [encourages] me to work hard at practice and strive towards excellence.”
Bubnick also has a deep appreciation for Sinclair. “The longevity of her career … [proves] she takes excellent care of herself [in terms of] her nutrition, recovery, training and fitness.” She also considers Sinclair very admirable because she always “[directs] the spotlight away from herself and talks about the team and [their] performance.”
Prior to this match, Sinclair stated that although she was excited for the opportunity to break this record and proud of all she has achieved throughout her career [so far], she was more focused on doing well in this, and subsequent CONCAF matches, in order for the team to advance to the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. “I’d like to get it over with … in a positive way … so that it doesn’t become] a focus for the team in the coming weeks” (quoted from an online CityNews article).
Unsurprisingly, Sinclair’s opportunity to break this record gained significant media coverage over the past few months. As Bubnick stated “185 goals don’t just happen, they take years of hard work and performing when it matters most.”
After seeing Sinclair break this record, Bubnick, myself, and many others who have closely followed this story were “ecstatic.” Immediately after her 185th goal, there was an explosion of congratulatory messages circulating on social media, including one from former record holder Mia Hamm, which stated “You continue to carry yourself and the game to new heights” (as quoted on an online Sportsnet article).
Bubnick also emphasized how Sinclair has been an incredible role model for Canadian youth. With Sinclair’s accomplishment, “the younger generation of soccer players” have an incredible opportunity to dream bigger … [and believe in] the idea that one day they too, can achieve something great.”
To quote Prime Minister Trudeau, “congratulations @Sincy12 – you rock!”
