Sinclair brace sets the pace in Canada’s win
LAGOS, PORTUGAL— Christine Sinclair scored twice and helped set up another to help Canada to a 3-0 win over South Korea at the Algarve Cup soccer tournament Monday. The goals raised Sinclair’s career tally to 172, just 12 behind retired American Abby Wambach’s international record of 184 goals.
Sinclair opened the scoring in the 24th minute, banging home a rebound from her own penalty kick after fullback Allysha Chapman was taken down in the box.
Jessie Fleming, a 19-year-old midfielder earning her 50th cap, made it 2-0 in the 73rd minute with a right-footed shot from the edge of the penalty box from a Sinclair setup. It was her fifth goal for Canada.
The 34-year-old captain from Burnaby, B.C., making her 265th appearance for Canada, then padded the lead in the 79th minute by tapping the ball home after a goalmouth scramble.
Sinclair also scored in Canada’s 1-0 win over Russia earlier at the tournament.
“Sinclair has played back-toback 90-minute games and she’s in incredible physical condition,” Canada coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller said.
Canada, ranked fifth in the world, improved to 2-1-0 at the tournament after losing 3-1 to No. 10 Sweden and beating No. 25 Russia. The Koreans are ranked 14th.
“Tonight we demonstrated the kind of intensity and level of play we expect of ourselves, so this was a better match, but we were building towards it and I think it shows that this team continues to be a real force,” Heiner-Moller said. Christine Sinclair is now just 12 goals behind Abby Wambach’s international record of 184.