Christine Sinclair scores, helps Portland clinch playoff spot

Christine Sinclair scored a goal in her 200th career NWSL match and the Portland Thorns clinched a playoff spot with a 3-0 victory over visiting Angel City FC on Friday night.

Sophia Smith and Morgan Weaver also scored goals for Portland (10-12-4, 34 points), which won for the fourth time in the past six matches (across all competitions) and moved into sixth place.

The Thorns have made eight straight playoff appearances (2016-19, 2021-24) and 10 of the past 11. There was no season in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Sinclair, 41, was playing her final regular-season home match and received a standing ovation when she exited in the 84th minute during pouring rain. She announced her retirement in late September.

Angel City (7-13-6, 24 points), tried to halt the shutout with four shots during second-half stoppage time. A right-footed shot by Claire Emslie went over the net.

Angel City was 1-0-2 over its previous three matches.

Sinclair scored her 79th career goal across all competitions to start the scoring. That ranks second in NWSL history behind Lynn Williams of NJ/NY Gotham. The goal was her fourth of this NWSL season.

Smith began the sequence with a left-footed shot in the 16th minute that was saved by Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haracic. But the rebound bounced to Sinclair, who patiently waited to shoot with three defenders around before using her left foot to knock it past Haracic.

Two minutes later, Smith thought she had scored a goal but it was nullified due to her being offside.

She got it back in the 26th minute when she scored her 12th goal of the season when she booted a left-footed shot into the right corner of the net.

Just before halftime, the Thorns struck again as Weaver sent a header into the net to make it 3-0. It was her fourth goal of the season.

Portland's Shelby Hogan and Haracic each had three saves.

--Field Level Media