'It's time': Canadian women's soccer stars steadfast in pursuit of domestic league

For Christine Sinclair, it was a day that was more than 21 years in the making.

Ever since debuting as a 16-year-old for the Canadian women's team in 2000, Sinclair aspired to lead her country to glory at the Olympics or the World Cup.

That dream was realized when teammate Julia Grosso's penalty kick sailed into the back of the net to seal Canada's victory over Sweden in the gold-medal match in Tokyo this summer. After winning back-to-back bronze medals, Sinclair had finally become an Olympic champion.

It was an amazing accomplishment for Canada's iconic captain, especially considering the path she took to ascend to the top of the medal podium.

Once a Canadian player makes her way through the youth ranks, she has no options to play professionally in her country, and must move abroad if she wants to pursue a professional career. Since 2013, Sinclair has played for the Portland Thorns of the U.S.-based National Women's Soccer League, which doesn't have any Canadian teams. Nearly half the members of the Olympic team played for European clubs. None of them earned a living at home.

Canada was ranked eighth in the world by FIFA ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, and rose to sixth after its gold medal win. But it is the only FIFA top 10-ranked country without a professional league.

Never one to make it all about herself or bask in self-adulation, Sinclair seized the moment in the immediate aftermath of Canada's victory over Sweden, using the platform granted her the opportunity to deliver her message as the entire country was watching.

"I hope we'll see some investment in the women's game. I think it's time Canada gets a professional league or some professional teams, and if a gold medal doesn't do that, nothing will. It's time for Canada to step up," Sinclair said in the post-match press conference.

More than 4.4 million viewers tuned into the Canada-Sweden match on CBC, making it the country's most-watched event of the Olympics.

Never before had the women's team garnered this level of attention. Several of Sinclair's teammates made the most of the opportunity and echoed her post-game sentiments, knowing full well that they had a captive audience who was eager to hear what they had to say after winning gold.

"We need to continue to push to have a professional league in Canada," goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé told The National's Ian Hanomansing. "The fact that we're Olympic champions and we don't have any professional teams in our home country is pretty unacceptable."

WATCH | Sinclair, Labbé join The National to discuss Olympic gold, pushing needle:

The complete lack of playing opportunities in Canada hits close to home for every member of the Canadian women's team, but especially Sinclair.

Except for a short stint with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the 38-year-old native of Burnaby, B.C., has played the overwhelming majority of her professional career in the United States with FC Gold Pride, Western New York Flash and Portland Thorns of the NWSL after cutting her teeth at the NCAA level at the University of Portland.