Christine Sinclair brought out the best in me, says Desiree Scott
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/12/2023 (716 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
It was one of the most important nights in Canadian soccer history. There was no way Winnipeg’s Desiree Scott was going to miss it.
Christine Sinclair — the most influential player in Canadian soccer history — closed out her illustrious international career Tuesday when Canada beat Australia 1-0 in a friendly at BC Place with 48,112 fans in attendance.
Scott, 36, wasn’t in action as she’s rehabbing a knee injury, but she was one of 10 former teammates from the 2012 Olympics side that won bronze who welcomed Sinclair, 40, onto the pitch for her farewell game.
Scott not only represented the women’s national team with Sinclair for more than a decade, but also sat beside the world’s career leader in international goals in the locker room.
“I think for me, I wouldn’t be on the team for as long as I had been without Sincy. She’s someone players want to play for, and you don’t want to disappoint her, you want to be your best for Christine Sinclair,” said Scott in a phone interview.
“She exudes greatness, she is greatness, but she also shows that on a daily basis… For me, she was just that motivational factor to be the best version of myself.”
Scott has no shortage of highlights with Sinclair. They helped put the program on the map over the course of three trips to the Olympics and won three medals (bronze, bronze, and gold).
“Obviously, the (2020 Tokyo Olympics), being on the podium, I’m No. 11 so I get to stand right beside her (Sinclair wore No. 12). For me, that moment was huge in the sense of she carried the country on her back for so many years… To be able to share that moment knowing that’s a moment she’s waited for her entire career, that was very special for me.”
David J. Phillip / The Associated Press files Desiree Scott (left) and Christine Sinclair have shared countless amazing moments together as members of Canada’s women’s national soccer team.
There’s a long list of moments off the field that hold special meaning to Scott as well.
“I’d try to get her to dance in the locker room, and she’d roll her eyes at me,” laughed Scott.
“And I think the confidence she put in me. We had many conversations where she’d say ‘Des, do you know how good you are?’ I think to have the GOAT say that to you in moments where you’re judging how you’re playing, she’d be there to say ‘You got the next one. I got your back.’ I truly felt supported by her my entire career which is really incredible.”
Scott made her national team debut in 2010 and remembers her first time meeting the superstar forward. Sinclair, with a stern look on her face, was one of the veterans who reminded the rookies it was their duty to carry the bags off the bus.
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“For me, it was more like an awe moment to be in her presence and represent the jersey alongside someone I watched on TV,” recalled Scott, a midfielder who also captains the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) Kansas City Current.
“Mine and Sincy’s relationship really grew over the years, I’d say she’s like an onion you have to peel back and I’ve been so fortunate to play with her for so many years to get to know her because it’s not a quick process where she will open up and allow you into her circle. She’s quite the private person, so, to be able to break her down over the years and build a friendship has been really amazing.”
Tuesday was largest-ever attendance for a women’s national team friendly in Canada, and the seventh-largest crowd for a Canadian national soccer game.
After the final whistle, there was a party with current players, alumni, family, and friends.
“Canada Soccer, along with a lot of us, we gifted her with a few presents. We got her a Rolex, but it’s hard to find a gift that would amount to what she’s done for the program for everyone. But she was surprised, shocked really, with that,” said Scott.
“I’ve never seen so many people show up from previous years — from the very beginning of Canada Soccer all the way through now. There were just generations of people coming to support and celebrate her career.”
Scott, who is aiming to help Canada defend its gold at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, said it was the perfect sendoff.
Sinclair will play one more season with her club team, the Portland Thorns (NWSL), before officially retiring.
“I think what she means to this team and what she means to me, we can’t always put it into words,” said Scott.
“But I know she felt all the love and to be a part of that was truly incredible.”
taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca
X: @taylorallen31
Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.
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