Sinclair named Canadian Player of 2008

January 8, 2009

CSA & Whitecaps FC

Former Vancouver Whitecaps striker Christine Sinclair has been named Canada's top female soccer player for a fourth consecutive year.

The Burnaby, BC, native claimed the 2008 Canadian Player of the Year award in a vote that was shared between the Canadian media and all Canadian coaches that have taken A and B-level coaching courses. The 25-year-old was honoured for her efforts in leading Canada to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Beijing, China, last August.

Sinclair, who was selected eighth overall by the Bay Area's FC Gold Pride in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) Initial International Draft, sits sixth all-time in the Whitecaps scoring charts with 23 goals and 10 assists in 21 United Soccer Leagues (USL) W-League appearances. Her last match for The Blue and White came on June 7, 2008, when she scored two goals in a one-match cameo appearance at Swangard Stadium, as the 'Caps defeated Pacific Northwest rivals Seattle Sounders 3-1.

A nine-year veteran with the senior national women's team, Sinclair became team captain and appeared in 22 matches in 2008, scoring 13 goals. This included two goals at the Beijing Olympics, as Canada made it the quarterfinals. The striker's efforts for the year took her international totals to an all-time leading 95 goals in 125 senior appearances for Canada. She tied Charmaine Hooper for most career starts (122) and is seven matches short of tying former Whitecaps captain Andrea Neil's record mark of 132 caps for Canada.

Sinclair also won the Golden Shoe award when she led Canada to the Cyprus Cup title last March before helping Even Pellerud's side secure their place in Beijing at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Mexico last April. She also claimed the Golden Shoe award after Canada finished runners-up at the Peace Queen Cup tournament in South Korea last June.

The forward joins Whitecaps midfielder Monica Lam-Feist (U-17) and midfielder/striker Jonelle Filigno (U-20) in winning Canada's top female awards for 2008. Whitecaps Residency midfielder Russell Teibert was named 2008 Canadian U-17 Men's Player of the Year earlier this week.

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