Canadian striker Christine Sinclair moves within five goals of Abby Wambach's international record with late penalty in Algarve Cup

Canada striker Christine Sinclair moved to within five goals of tying retired-American Abby Wambach’s international record of 184 goals when she converted a penalty late in a 1-0 win over Scotland at the Algarve Cup on Friday. [caption id=“attachment_6182471” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Christine Sinclair. Reuters[/caption] Canada were heading for a second consecutive goalless draw to open the tournament in Portugal until Sinclair slotted home from the spot in the 81st minute after team mate Ashley Lawrence had been fouled in the area. The goal was the 179th of the Canadian captain’s career, which ranks second on the all-time list including female and male soccer players. “I saw the ‘keeper move early and had half the net to shoot at — and hopefully I won’t miss that,” said Sinclair. “What gives me confidence is knowing that I’m prepared. I practise penalty shots at the end of every training session, so in the moment you know you’ve done everything you can to be ready,” she added. Sinclair has been the backbone of the Canadian team since making her debut as a 16-year-old at the 2000 Algarve Cup where she also scored her first international goal. Since then, she has established herself as one of the best players in the women’s game and has competed at two Olympics, including in 2012 where she was the tournament’s leading scorer with six of Canada’s 12 goals. The 35-year-old will next be in action on Wednesday to determine final ranking in the Algarve Cup, a 12-team event that includes seven nations who have qualified for the 7 June-7 July World Cup in France.