Soccer star Christine Sinclair to play her final hometown game

Christine Sinclair is saying goodbye — again.

The Canadian soccer legend will play her final game at B.C. Place on Tuesday when her Portland Thorns take on the Vancouver Whitecaps Girls Elite FC as part of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) W Champions Cup.

"When I played here last for Canada, I thought that was going to be my last game here in Vancouver. But thanks to this new tournament, I obviously get to bring my teammates up here," Sinclair said Monday. "I'm excited to show the Whitecaps what we're capable of."

More than 48,000 fans packed B.C. Place last December as Sinclair played her final game with Canada — a 1-0 win over Australia in a friendly.

A significantly smaller crowd is expected for Tuesday's game where the Thorns — a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club who are currently battling for a playoff spot — take on the Whitecaps, an academy team composed mainly of teenage players.

The game's profile got a boost last month when the 41-year-old Sinclair announced she will retire from professional soccer at the end of the season.

"Obviously for me, it's a special feeling to play in front of my family, having played my entire career down in the U.S.," she said. "They haven't had that many opportunities to come watch me play, so whenever we get to play here, it's always special."

Hailing from Burnaby, B.C., Sinclair is one of Canada's most revered athletes.

She ended her international career last year as the world's top scorer in both men's and women's soccer with 190 goals. Her time with the national squad included appearing in six Women's World Cups — and goals in five — an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, and bronze at both the 2016 Games in Rio and 2012