Janine Beckie and Christine Sinclair are calling attention to the pay disparities between the Canada women’s and men’s national teams.

In 2021, the men’s team was given over $11 million for expenses, while the women received just shy of $5.1 million. Both marked increases from 2020, though the men’s team’s budget jumped from $3.08 million while the women’s sat at $2.8 million in 2020.

That means that the gap between the two teams’ funding grew from roughly $267,000 to nearly $6 million.

“Numbers don’t lie,” wrote Beckie.

The Canada women’s national team has since gone on strike and has said that it will miss the SheBelieves Cup in protest, which is set to begin next Thursday.

Other players have also called out Canada Soccer’s lack of equality despite previous claims that they would do more to ensure that the women were paid equally. Beckie also tweeted out a video on Friday, in which Canada Soccer president Nick Bontis goes on the record prioritizing equal pay.

“The other right thing to do is to make sure whatever we pay the men, we pay the women. Because that’s the right thing to do,” he says.

Other Canadian stars like Desiree Scott joined in the public protest against Canada Soccer.

“We have been beyond successful as a program and is players have given our all to this team!” she wrote. “We are simply asking for what we deserve! Enough. Is. Enough! It’s time!

A professional women’s soccer league is coming to Canada, with former Canada women’s national team player Diana Matheson and current captain Christine Sinclair leading the way.

The unnamed league is expected to begin play in April 2025, according to CBC, with each team featuring at least one women’s national team player.

Matheson and business partner Thomas Gilbert will launch the league under their venture Project 8 Sports Inc., and they have has founding partners in bank CIBC and Air Canada. Two clubs have been confirmed: Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the Calgary Foothills.

Sinclair, Canada’s all-time international scoring leader, is on board as an advisor. Sinclair plays with the NWSL’s Portland Thorns and recently re-signed with the club on a one-year contract.

The league is looking for eight teams. Expected buy-in for clubs is between $8 and $10 million, and salaries are expected to be competitive with other professional leagues. The goal is to bring home roughly half of the more than 100 Canadians playing abroad.

Stephanie Labbé, former Canada WNT star and current Whitecaps FC general manager of women’s soccer, spoke with CBC about the club becoming one of the first teams in the league.

“Whitecaps FC are thrilled to be one of the first teams to sign on to a professional women’s soccer league in Canada,” Labbé said. “The creation of this league is something we have been advocating for over many years, and to be part of seeing it come to fruition is truly exciting.”

For Sinclair, who captained the national team to an Olympic gold medal in 2021, the league has been a long time coming.

“I really thought that 2012 was going to be a turning point for this country in bringing professional soccer home,” she said. “But it never happened. And there’s still no pathways within this country.

“We’ve inspired Canadians on the podium. Now it’s time to actually make an impactful difference here in Canada.”

For Matheson, having the right owners involved will be key.

“One of the things is having more diversity to begin with — more women, diverse voices to begin with, more players voices to begin with. And that’s top to bottom. I want women owners, women in the executive, women’s player voices as part of this,” Matheson said.

Sinclair alluded to the abuse issues in the NWSL, which have roiled that league over the last two seasons.

“[It’s] unfortunate just how women are treated and taken advantage of,” Sinclair said. “That’s why we need women owners. We need female executives.”

The league will also look to ensure protection for players, particularly in the wake of reports of abuse and sexual misconduct in the NWSL.

“It’s training, it’s vetting, it’s independent reporting systems,” Matheson said. “And for us, that’s going to mean working with those groups that are really good at doing those things.”

Portland Thorns captain Christine Sinclair thanked embattled owner Merritt Paulson for his leadership hours after Paulson announced his plans to sell his stake in the team.

Paulson has led the Thorns since the founding of the team and the league, and Sinclair has played for the Portland club since the inaugural NWSL season in 2013. But Paulson and the the Thorns’ front office were at the center of the NWSL abuse scandal in the wake of the Sally Yates report released in October.

“For 10 years I have proudly represented the Portland Thorns. Merritt, thank you for taking the chance on women’s soccer 10 years ago that so few were willing to make,” Sinclair wrote in a message posted on Twitter. “With your leadership, Portland has shown what is possible when our game is invested in.”

Paulson stepped down as CEO of the Thorns and his MLS club, the Portland Timbers, in October, after the U.S. Soccer-commissioned report implicated him in perpetuating a culture of abuse in the league.

Amid the turmoil, the Thorns won their third NWSL championship. During the playoffs, when asked if Paulson should sell the Thorns, Sinclair gave an oblique response.

“I’ve been part of this team proudly for 10 years,” she said at the time, noting that over the past year she’s seen “significant changes” that were “for the better.”

Her comments came in contrast to those of teammate Becky Sauerbrunn, who has repeatedly called for owners and executives who helped to cover up abuses to exit the NWSL.

“It is my opinion that every owner and executive and U.S. Soccer official who has repeatedly failed the players and failed to protect the players, who have hidden behind legalities and have not participated fully in these investigations, should be gone,” she said.

Crystal Dunn and Lindsey Horan have noted that it is hard to find pride in playing for the club in light of the report.

Sinclair, though, wrote Thursday that Paulson will be “missed greatly.”

“I can only hope, that as you step aside, the next in line will continue to raise the bar for this organization, community and league,” she continued. “I cannot thank you enough for everything you have done for women’s soccer and I wish you all the success in the future.”

Thorns teammate Emily Menges, who has played for the club since she was drafted in 2014, also took to Twitter to thank Paulson.

“I cannot thank you enough for all you have done for the Portland Thorns,” she wrote, adding that she has felt “nothing but support” from Paulson for the entirety of her Thorns career.

Menges, a member of the NWSLPA, has played a large part in pushing for players to have a role in the investigations into systemic abuse around the league.

Christine Sinclair is returning to the NWSL champion Portland Thorns on a one-year contract, making 2023 her 11th season in the league, all with the Thorns.

The veteran announced her return at Portland’s championship parade on Tuesday night, three days after the club won a record third NWSL championship with a 2-0 win over the Kansas City Current and on the same day that her memoir, “Playing the Long Game,” was released. The Thorns later confirmed that Sinclair’s option has been exercised for the 2023 season.

“So, I’m announcing it here: I’ll be back next year!” Sinclair said to a chorus of cheers from the Thorns fans in attendance.

“To win a fourth one of those,” she added, pointing to the NWSL trophy. “And f–k Seattle.” (OL Reign, previously the Seattle Reign as one of the NWSL’s original clubs, are longstanding rivals of the Thorns.)

Sinclair, 39, has been a part of all three of the Thorns’ championship teams, starting her career with the club for the NWSL’s inaugural season in 2013. This season, the captain scored five goals across 12 starts and 14 appearances for Portland, which led the league in overall goals scored with 49.

Despite not starting in Portland’s semifinal win over the San Diego Wave on Oct. 23, Sinclair re-entered the starting lineup for the championship game and helped establish the Thorns’ attack, which had 18 shots to Kansas City’s nine.

Sinclair was one of the 22 NWSL players to be granted free-agency status when an independent arbitrator ruled in favor of the NWSL Players Association earlier this month. The NWSL and NWSLPA had disputed the interpretation of a clause in the league’s new collective bargaining agreement, with the league arguing that any player with a pending year option on their contract was not eligible for free agency unless their team declined that option. The NWSLPA made the case that all players with at least six years of service and an expiring contract were eligible.

As a result of the ruling, Sinclair joined NWSL stars Tobin Heath, Debinha and others in the free agency pool.

Now locked up for at least one more year, Sinclair will compete for another NWSL championship as well as a 2023 World Cup title with Canada. The all-time leading goal-scorer in international soccer history helped Canada win its first gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Portland’s record third championship was built on the backs of veterans.

While a plethora of young talent in stars like Sophia Smith and Sam Coffey, the veteran presence of Becky Sauerbrunn and Christine Sinclair has not gone unnoticed as the team has navigated the season.

Sinclair has been part of the club since 2020 while Sinclair has been a member of the Thorns since the NWSL’s inception in 2013.

“It’s been a journey, had ups and downs, but I’m just so proud of this group,” said Sinclair postgame. “We stuck together. This was the goal at the start of the year. It’s been a while since we’ve brought this trophy back to Portland and, yeah, this is pretty special.”

First-year head coach Rhian Wilkinson said Sauerbrunn and Sinclair have been instrumental to the team’s success, calling the pair “icons of the game.”

“This is a leader-full team and we have incredible icons of the game on the field,” said Wilkinson. “And a Becky Sauerbrun, Christine [Sinclair], there’s no other word for them. You just see them show up and play different roles.”

Sauerbrunn’s leadership in helping players like Kelli Hubly navigate the Kansas City Current’s transition game was instrumental in the team’s defense being able to shut down the attack.

“This one’s special personally,” Sinclair said of the Thorns’ third championship. “It’s been a rough year and obviously everything that’s been happening around the club to be able to bring this championship back to Portland, to our organization, to the fans, this one means a lot.”

Christine Sinclair is putting the pressure on Canada Soccer.

Earlier this week, the sport’s governing body in Canada reached a licensing agreement with men’s national team star Alphonso Davies, TSN’s Rick Westhead reported. As a result, Davies will receive royalties for the sale of his jersey.

No other men’s or women’s national team player has such an agreement, but a source told Westhead that Davies’ deal could have positive implications for other players.

“The federation today is all about equality and equity,” the source said. “Christine Sinclair has carried this program for more than a decade and not made a cent off of jersey sales. Both national teams have overperformed and Canada Soccer really has no choice but to offer the same deal Alphonso got to all other national team players, so that’s good news for everyone.”

But Sinclair has yet to hear from Canada Soccer regarding licensing rights, she said in response to the report.

“I’m waiting to hear from the CSA…” she tweeted.

The 39-year-old serves as the captain for both Canada and for the NWSL’s Portland Thorns, who will compete in the NWSL championship match at 8 p.m. ET Saturday against the Kansas City Current. She spoke recently with Just Women’s Sports about the push for equality at the national team level.

“It’s just been a struggle to get from Canada Soccer what we as successful women’s players think we deserve,” she said.

According to Canada Soccer general secretary Earl Cochrane, the women’s team has a sponsorship agreement related to name, image and likeness that uses the “global standard.” Under that contract, additional compensation is not required “if you use an image of four or more athletes in a group image.”

Both the men’s and women’s national teams are embroiled in contract negotiations with Canada Soccer, and the women’s team is continuing to push for equal pay in the vein of the landmark collective bargaining agreements reached by the U.S. men’s and women’s national team earlier this year.

“The Women’s National Team will not accept an agreement that does not offer equal pay,” the Canadian women’s national team said in June.

Back in September, Canada Soccer had made a new offer to the men’s and women’s players, Sportsnet reported. So far, though, no agreements have been reached on either side.

“The veterans on the national team said that one of our goals is to leave the program in a better place,” Sinclair told Just Women’s Sports. “Hopefully this is one fight that our young players on the national team won’t have to have again, and that once there’s equal pay and equal compensation structures in place, there’s no going back from that.”

Canadian women’s national team captain Christine Sinclair has always been private about her personal life. But now, after two decades in professional soccer and the all-time record for international goals, she’s ready to tell her story.

Sinclair’s memoir, “Playing the Long Game: A Memoir,” comes out Nov. 1, a mere three days after she plays in her fourth NWSL championship game with the Portland Thorns. The captain was a part of the Thorns when they won their first championship in 2013, the year the NWSL began, and on Saturday they’ll look to claim their third title against the Kansas City Current in Washington, D.C.

In her book, co-authored with Stephen Brunt, Sinclair discusses everything from growing up in Burnaby, B.C, to winning national championships at the University of Portland, to making Portland her permanent home with the Thorns. Through it all, she’s lost loved ones, helped Canada win its first Olympic gold medal in 2021 and pushed for equal pay between the men’s and women’s teams.

Just Women’s Sports sat down with Sinclair, 39, recently to discuss the writing process, reliving memories from her career and creating a better future for women’s soccer players.

First, I have to ask, based on a revelation in your book: What was your favorite part of ballet class in college?

[Laughs] When it was over. I mean, easy credits … I needed an easy credit. It was like, “Ballet? OK.” A bunch of us took it and, like, oh my God.

Was there a specific moment or conversation that sparked the idea that now was the time to write and release a book?

It wasn’t a specific moment. Obviously it was after Tokyo, and opportunities are being thrown your way and it seemed like the right time. Our national team had never been at such a high, and it was people within Canada paying attention to the sport. It was just time to change the script. And young kids can now idolize women. I grew up idolizing male players and male figures, and what better time to change that? So, let’s do a book.

How long have you known that writing a memoir was something you wanted to do?

It’s actually been quite a while where, not that I wanted to do it necessarily, but whether it’s teammates or just people that I’d meet at [university] told me to write a book. I mean, obviously I’ve had a journey. I’ve had a career that has been pretty cool. So with help, it made sense.

As a naturally private person, how did you adjust to the writing process?

There are definitely certain things where, going into it with Stephen Brunt, I was like, these are off limits, these are no go’s. But yeah, it was just weird. For me, talking about soccer is easy. People who have followed my career know that we won gold, and know that this happened and this. It’s the little behind-the-scenes things that people don’t know of, which was cool. But for me, writing parts and putting parts about my family out there is … showing some vulnerability with that is the most difficult part for me, especially my parents and things like that. So that’s the part where you feel a little like, “Uhhh,” but that being said, I’m proud that it’s out there.

“Playing the Long Game” is dedicated to your biggest inspiration — your mother. How has she inspired and impacted you?

Obviously her living with MS for as long as she did, and being a kid, seeing one of your parents go through that and the struggles and seeing physically everything be taken away from her — the way she handled it inspired me and taught me a whole lot of perspective in life. And those days that I thought were so bad, in the grand scheme of things, are not bad at all. A lot of hard work and a lot of perspective and how to face things with a smile on your face, and trying to make the best out of situations that sometimes are very hard.

Many of your coaches had a big impact on you as well, especially former Canada women’s coach John Herdman. What did you learn from him?

He joked that he wants his players, when he’s done coaching them, to have a PhD in soccer. In terms of soccer knowledge and understanding the game, I’ve never had a better coach. I see the game and play the game differently because of him. But as a person, he is able to get the most out of every single individual on the team and that’s not necessarily on the soccer field. He prides himself on the individuals and the people that you are and you become. He’s just a good guy. I mean, he spoke at my dad’s service and he’s one of the few guys in my life where I count on him for anything. Very rarely do you get that in a coach. I’m so thankful that I had him as a coach and now as a friend, and seeing him take on the world with the men’s team, I’m his biggest fan.

As a captain, your lead-by-example style is just a part of who you are, but who has influenced your leadership along the way?

John definitely was the one that kind of challenged me the most in terms of, “OK, yes, you lead by example. Yes, you tend to do the right things day in and day out.” But he knows how to get you out of your comfort zone and try new things. He was the one that helped me find the power of my voice and when to speak up. And then having teammates like Diana Matheson and now bosses Rhian and Karina, they’re more upfront and honest and to-the-point type leaders, and they’ve definitely helped me find that within myself.

Thorns coach Rhian Wilkinson and GM Karina LeBlanc are two of your closest friends. How do you balance friendship and professional relationships with them in Portland?

It’s been a challenge at times, just because we are such good friends — best friends. Especially with Rhian and I, the coach-player dynamic, we’ve definitely set our boundaries that we are a player and coach and for right now, that’s it. I mean, that sounds so mean, but right now it’s, how can we help the Thorns win and succeed? With Karina, I don’t see her as much day to day, but it’s been cool to see her family and her little kid, Paris, down here. I know Rhian and Karina both played here for a year, but it’s cool to be on this journey with them and other staff members and slowly making this a little Team Canada down here. I’m proud of that. I like to think we’re good people and we’re building something special.

While writing this book, was there a moment or chapter that you had fun reliving, having not thought about it too much beforehand?

It’s not specific moments. I think of the 2015 World Cup, the 2011 World Cup, and in a way, leaving those tournaments, they left such a negative taste in my mouth because we weren’t as successful as we would have hoped. But then, years later reflecting back on it, there’s some great memories from those tournaments that, in the moment, you don’t think about because it’s wins or losses and that’s all that seems to matter. But looking back, there are moments that brought the team together. Without those two experiences, I don’t think we would have had the success we’ve had recently. It just brought the team closer and made friendships stronger.

Knowing how much Canadians love to beat the Americans, were you any more determined to break the international goal-scoring record knowing Abby Wambach (184 goals) held the title at the time?

So, as I was chasing Mia [Hamm] down and Abby down, it wasn’t so much that they were American. It was just as it got closer, it’s like you want it, and the pressure and stress that came with that. But now that it’s been taken care of, I’m more proud to see a Canadian at the top of the list and not an American flag. It wasn’t the driving force behind what I wanted to do, but now that it’s done, it’s pretty cool to see Canada on top.

You joke about Even Pellerud, a Norwegian, becoming more Canadian during his time coaching Canada from 1998-2008. It got me wondering, in your case, do you feel you’ve taken on any American tendencies while living and playing in the States for so long?

I mean, I don’t think so. But then I go home to Canada and my family makes fun of some of the things I say, and they’re like, “Oh, you sound American.” But that’s also why I like Portland so much. To me, it just reminds me of Vancouver. It has that vibe. It’s not like I’m living in Texas. So, I think I’ve stayed close to Canada.

Hypothetical question: If the NWSL were to expand to Vancouver, would you prefer to stay in Portland or move to Vancouver, which is closer to your hometown?

I’d stay in Portland. It was brought to me a couple years ago when the Whitecaps were dabbling in the potential of joining the NWSL. They were like, “Part of it would mean you would have to come back,” and I was like, “The Thorns are my club now.” Yeah, I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave. I’m not saying that, when I’m done playing, I wouldn’t venture up North to help out there, but in terms of playing, I’m pretty set here.

You mention in the book that you didn’t feel a lot of pressure on the field while growing up. Do you think you would have felt more pressure if you had been more aware of the opportunities that were at stake?

Maybe. I think of the younger kids now, that they’re just faced with different decisions than I was faced with. Do you go to college? Do you go straight to pro? Do you want to play in the U.S., or do you want to go overseas? They have different options and different pressures than I had when I was growing up. There was one path, pretty much.

But I think for me, what helped were my parents and my family. They never let it become bigger than what it was. They never let me live and die by how a soccer game went. I think they saw that I love the sport and they wanted it to be fun for me as much as they could. They allowed me to just grow up in that kind of world. There was no pressure. There was no stress. It was, for my brother and me, just doing what we loved. They didn’t put excess expectations on us or me, like, “Well, you know, there are college scouts at this game.” There was none of that. It was just, “Go do what you do because you love it. And whatever happens, happens.”

There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done to grow soccer in Canada. Obviously, there are calls for a domestic league, but what about the sport at the grassroots level needs to be improved?

I don’t know a lot about the inner-workings of youth soccer within Canada, besides my nieces’ experiences. I sense that there just needs to be more direction. More as John used to put it: We want players to succeed by design, not by chance. I thought that was actually very truthful and fitting for the way soccer is in Canada, where players are successful by chance, not necessarily by the inner-workings of clubs and the development of players. I don’t necessarily know how to fix that, but that’s just my observation. And it’s like, how many players have we lost along the way that have just fallen through the cracks?

Obviously, I see what’s happening here in the U.S., with the ECNL leagues and the regional leagues. They have such a foundation, and it’s designed for success and designed for growth. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in Canada and been with youth soccer in Canada, but that does seem to be lacking.

How do you feel the national team’s past battles have impacted the current fight for gender equality, and what do you want the future to look like for Canadian women’s soccer players?

There’s been a battle — I say battle, it’s not really a battle — with the Canadian Soccer Association. It’s been a constant struggle. Unfortunately, with the way FIFA operates, you need your men’s team to be successful to help fund your programming in terms of bonuses for qualifying for the World Cup. So, it’s just been a struggle to get from Canada Soccer what we as successful women’s players think we deserve.

However, now that our men’s team has qualified for the World Cup and Canada Soccer has come out publicly and said that our next CBA will be equal pay, it’s definitely a giant step in the right direction. We’re actually negotiating that right now. And I assume it’ll be done before the men’s World Cup starts. So yeah, I wish this was something that was in place 15, 20 years ago. But the veterans on the national team said that one of our goals is to leave the program in a better place. Hopefully this is one fight that our young players on the national team won’t have to have again, and that once there’s equal pay and equal compensation structures in place, there’s no going back from that. When it does get signed, that’ll be one of the things that a bunch of us are most proud of, and that future generations won’t have to have the same battles and struggles that we had.

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

Morgan Weaver needed just one touch to put an exclamation mark on the Portland Thorns’ incredible scoring streak.

With 10 minutes left in regulation of a game on July 16, Weaver intercepted a pass from Gotham goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris intended for defender Mandy Freeman. As Freeman looped around to meet the ball, Weaver connected with her left foot and caught an unsuspecting Harris out of position.

Portland was already up 4-0 on Gotham when Weaver added to the tally, and her goal was one of 23 scored by 12 different Thorns players during an eight-game unbeaten streak heading into the break. The Thorns are also first in the NWSL with 29 goals so far this season.

The stretch was particularly impressive, as it came over a period of time when several key players were on international duty and the Thorns had to rely on a less experienced cast.

“In terms of connectivity, in terms of asking the team to play a certain way, (this stretch) couldn’t have gone better,” coach Rhian Wilkinson said. “We used our depth, we used new faces, and everyone knew their role and fought for one another.”

When the NWSL regular season resumes Friday night, the Thorns will look to keep up their streak against Racing Louisville FC. Before kickoff, here’s a look at the team’s 12 goal scorers.

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Hina Sugita is making her NWSL debut after signing a three-year deal with Portland in January. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)

Hina Sugita

Sugita is in her first season with the Thorns after playing eight years of pro soccer in Japan. The midfielder has scored three times this season, with two coming during the Thorns’ unbeaten stretch. All three goals have come off of her left foot and from inside the box. Sugita is also a member of the Japanese women’s national team.

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Sophia Smith is second in the NWSL with eight goals this season. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)

Sophia Smith

A member of the U.S. women’s national team, Smith notched five goals for the Thorns during their unbeaten streak before traveling to Mexico to help the USWNT win the Concacaf Championship. Smith is second in the NWSL with eight goals and first with 30 shots, 20 of which she put on goal.

Kelli Hubly

The defender’s header off a corner kick on June 3 against Angel City was her first and only goal of the season. She found herself unmarked and connected on the header in the 3-0 victory. Hubly has played in the NWSL for four seasons, and the June 3 goal was the first of her career.

Christine Sinclair

The Canadian scored twice against Angel City, and then again against the San Diego Wave, before taking up captain duties for her country during the Concacaf tournament. The 39-year-old has four goals this season for the Thorns and is currently second on the NWSL’s all-time goal scorers list with 58.

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Olivia Moultrie is the youngest-ever NWSL goal scorer at 16 years old. (Maria Lysaker/USA TODAY Sports)

Olivia Moultrie

When Moultrie scored her first of two goals so far this season in a June 12 win over Houston, she made history. The 16-year-old’s goal came in the 74th minute of a 4-0 win and made her the youngest scorer ever in NWSL play. The record was previously held by 18-year-old Ellie Carpenter, who was also playing for Portland at the time.

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Becky Sauerbrunn, not known for her goal-scoring, added to Portland's tally during the streak. (Diego Diaz/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Becky Sauerbrunn

Another experienced vet, Sauerbrunn has played professional soccer since 2005 while also appearing for the USWNT. The defender’s goal in a June 19 6-0 shutout of OL Reign was her first of the season and the first of her Thorns career. The 37-year-old also led the USWNT’s backline in the Concacaf tournament earlier this month.

Natalie Kuikka

The Finnish midfielder was signed to a two-year deal that started in 2021 after enjoying a successful collegiate career at Florida State. Kuikka scored nine goals during her four years as a Seminole, but her right-footed tally on June 19 was her first with the Thorns. She’s appeared in nine games for Portland this season.

Taylor Porter

The 24-year-old midfielder has scored twice for Portland this season. Her first goal was in the 6-0 win over OL Reign, and the second came in the 5-0 win over Gotham. This is her second season with the Thorns, after she signed with the team in 2021 when players from the USWNT were participating in the Olympics.

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Yazmeen Ryan has one goal and four assists for Portland Thorns this season. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Yazmeen Ryan

Despite scoring just one goal this season — a header in a 1-1 draw with Angel City on July 1 — Ryan has been an active contributor to the Thorns’ offense this season. The 23-year-old midfielder leads the NWSL with four assists.

Marissa Everett

Portland re-signed Everett on Feb. 3 to a one-year deal. She initially joined the club in 2019 as a national team replacement player. The 24-year-old, who has played in five games this season, scored her first goal on July 16 while also registering a season-high four shots.

Hannah Betfort

Portland’s fourth goal in the win over Gotham on July 16 came off the head of Betfort, for her first of the season. The 23-year-old attacker played one minute in her debut for the Thorns on June 8 and has made six appearances since.

Morgan Weaver

The final goal during Portland’s unbeaten stretch leading into the break came off the left foot of Weaver. She has two goals in 10 games this season, the first coming in her debut on April 30 in a 3-0 win over Kansas City. Weaver joined Portland in 2020 as the second pick of the College Draft after scoring 43 goals at Washington State.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Christine Sinclair extended her international goalscoring lead Tuesday, notching the opening goal against Trinidad and Tobago in Canada’s Concacaf W Championship opener.

The team went on to win 6-0.

For Sinclair, the goal – which was scored in the 27th minute – marks her 190th international tally. She’s the top international goal-scorer of all time among women’s and men’s players. Sinclair has scored for Canada in every year since 2000, when she received her first call up to the senior national team.

She’s also one of the most-capped international players, with 310 appearances for Canada.

With the win, Canada sits atop Group B standings, having scored three more goals than Costa Rica, who beat Panama and sits in second place.

Canada will next play Panama at 10 p.m. ET Friday.

Canada announced its roster for the June international window on Tuesday for the team’s upcoming friendly against the Korea Republic on June 26.

Currently, 28 players will head into camp for the June window. Among the 28 players, 21 were on Canada’s gold-medal winning team in Tokyo. The full 23-person roster will be decided from the 28 players selected prior to the team’s friendly. That same roster will then play in the 2022 Concacaf W Championship.

“We’re excited to get another game in front of our fans and to have many players from the Toronto area return home for the first time in a long time,” head coach Bev Priestman said. “The June window is about selecting the final 23 player roster and working on ourselves heading into a critical tournament this summer and Korea will provide a great test for us.”

Captain Christine Sinclair headlines the team with 310 international appearances. Missing, however, is Stephanie Labbé who played in her final international match in April.

Anna Karpenko, Lysianne Proulx and Bianca St-Georges are all new additions to the squad and will have an opportunity to make their case for the final roster.

The full roster:

Goalkeepers: Sabrina D’Angelo (Vittsjö GIK), Anna Karpenko (Harvard University), Lysianne Proulx (Unattached), Kailen Sheridan (San Diego Wave FC)

Defenders: Kadeisha Buchanan (Chelsea FC), Vanessa Gilles (Angel City FC), Shelina Zadorsky (Tottenham Hotspur), Zoe Burns (University of Southern California), Gabrielle Carle (Kristianstads DFF), Allysha Chapman (Houston Dash), Ashley Lawrence (Paris Saint-Germain), Jayde Riviere (AFC Ann Arbour), Bianca St-Georges (Chicago Red Stars)

Midfielders: Marie-Yasmine Alidou d’Anjou (SK Sturm Graz), Jessie Fleming (Chelsea FC), Julia Grosso (Juventus FC), Quinn (OL Reign), Sophie Schmidt (Houston Dash), Desiree Scott (Kansas City Current), Sarah Stratigakis (Vittsjö GIK)

Forwards: Janine Beckie (Portland Thorns FC), Jordyn Huitema (Paris Saint-Germain), Cloé Lacasse (SL Benfica), Adriana Leon (West Ham United FC), Nichelle Prince (Houston Dash), Deanne Rose (Reading FC), Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns FC), Évelyne Viens (Kristianstads DFF)