PORTLAND Pray. (KPTV) – Christine Sinclair will play her final home game as a member of the Portland Thorns on Friday at Providence Park.

Beloved by her teammates and her adopted hometown, Sinclair is closing out a monumental 25 professional seasons. And after playing 12 of those pro seasons in Portland, three crowns and a hall of fame career, Sinclair will always be the GOAT here.

“This sport has been my life since I was 4 years old,” Sinclair said. “Obviously, this team is wonderful and this will be the hardest part to leave.”

The best of all captains, Thorn, 41, captains the seventh-place club into the National Women’s Soccer League regular-season finale on Friday night, where a win or a draw at home against Angel City will push Portland back to the playoffs in their 200th game and perhaps last in a Thorns kit.

“Being able to give it my all last year in Portland, but little by little it has been incorporated,” Sinclair said. “I still have the passion, I still love the sport, I still want to win, but yes, it’s time.”

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“The Thorns showed the world what was possible when investing in women’s sports and now, looking around the NWSL, WNBA and professional hockey, it’s incredible to see the growth and I’d like to think Portland had a little bit of the beginning. ”Sinclair said.

Beyond Sinclair’s 12 professional years in Portland, she will always be remembered for leading the Pilots to a pair of NCAA national titles when she was a consensus All-American and twice named UP Bluff Player of the Year by another his fellow Portland soccer icon, Clive Charles.

“My blood is Canadian, but since I went to university here, I remember Clive saying that students come here and never leave. Yeah, that’s me,” Sinclair said. “From day one, Portland has been my home, and this will always be one of two home bases for me.”

Friday’s game could be the end or the beginning of another deep postseason run. There are still tickets available to send Sinclair off in style.

“Obviously, we love to compete by playing and trying to win, but being able to give back, being able to spend those 30 seconds, a minute, whatever it is, with the next generation is very important,” Sinclair said. “I had those moments as a kid, literally sitting in this stadium and watching a World Cup game and it changed my life, so to be able to give back, obviously, I have two young nieces who dream of one day playing for Portland, playing for “Canada, it’s the reason we do what we do.”

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