PORTLAND, Ore. – While Christine Sinclair only just arrived in Portland to train with Thorns FC last week—she made her season debut Saturday as a second-half substitute in the Thorns' 1-0 victory over the Western New York Flash—she's more than aware of the challenges facing the team this season.
"These first couple months of the season will be difficult with the international players preparing for the World Cup," she said. "[But] my expectation coming in, is just to do anything I can to help this team win. These players have been training together for a long time and I just want to support them any way I can.
"The whole season, the goal is to host the playoffs and win another championship."
Since coming to Portland to play with the Thorns in 2013, Sinclair has already done exactly that, scoring the clinching goal in the final few minutes of the team's 2-0 2013 NWSL championship victory over the Western New York Flash. That season, she was voted team MVP and was also an NWSL Second XI selection.
This summer, however, may prove Sinclair's biggest test yet. The long-time Canadian captain will be playing in front of host country Canadian home crowds with the expectations of an entire nation resting on her leadership, experience, and goal-scoring prowess.
"I'm expecting to go there and try to win it," she said. "With our results in London 2012 Olympics, and ever since then, I think we've proven that we can play with the best teams in the world. It's just a matter of doing it on a consistent basis in the biggest tournament of your life."
Sinclair, an 12-time Canada Soccer Player of the Year, understands the gravity of the moment and has already prepared herself for the challenge of carrying such monumental hopes on her back.
"I've never experienced what we're going to experience in [less than] 50 days," she said. "I'm surrounded by incredible teammates. I'm surrounded by my friends and family. They're very supportive of me. It's sort of a full team effort, both on and off the field. It's nice to be able to rely on your teammates to cope with that. We're all going through the same thing."
Her time with Thorns FC, Sinclair says, has also played a major role in preparing her for the pressures of this summer's tournament.
"Here in Portland, it's a world class environment," she said. "You've got great coaching staff. You're playing with some of the best players in the world, day-in and day-out. You're playing in front of a large number of fans that expect results, so there's pressure that comes with that. Everything that is done daily in Portland would prepare any player to play on the national stage."
Sinclair, however, will be taking with her a decade-and-a-half of big game international experience. Since 2000, when Sinclair first debuted for the Canadian Women’s National Team at 16 years-old, she's made over 200 appearances for Canada and has scored over 150 goals. She's also appeared in three FIFA Women's World Cups and two Olympic Games.
She'll also be carrying back to Canada many of the lessons she learned at the University of Portland from NASL Portland Timbers great Clive Charles.
"Some of his sayings and messages are things that I take with me, not only to every soccer game, but just in life," she said. "The lessons I've learned and the experiences I've gained are what I'll be taking to the World Cup."
And it's not just Charles; Sinclair's Portland roots run deep.
Two of Sinclair's uncles, Bruce and Brian Gant, played for the NASL-era Timbers, while Sinclair herself spent four years playing for and studying at the University of Portland before eventually ending up back in Portland with the Thorns in 2013.
"I couldn't imagine playing anywhere else," said Sinclair. "This is home for me. Ever since I attended the University of Portland I've sort of never left. It's the only place I would like to play. There's no better feeling than stepping out in front of a packed house here and just playing for the fans."
