Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake Prediction Thread

The Timbers are within a point of clinching a spot in the playoffs for the first time since joining MLS, but will they make it in today? Let's get prognosticating!

It is time to pare down the prediction thread. We all had some fun with the DDugan Lineup Challange and the RCTIDnomatterwhat Sartorial Showdown, but let's get back to basics here folks.

Make sure to get your predictions in before the game tonight. Here is what we are looking for:

• The final score.
• Who will score the goals.
• When the goals will be scored.

As always, the more specific (overly specific, even), the better. Feel free to add any additional predictions you might have as well.

Here are last week's winners:

• The week's so-close-it-freaks-you out award goes to WithdrawnStriker, whose 1-0 prediction and accompanying description was frighteningly accurate, accurately calling Kalif Alhassan as the lone goal-scorer as well as the red card to Oswaldo Alonso.

At 70’, Satan himself, the Lord of Darkness, realizing that Seattle is not going to win any hardware and that his contract is therefore moot, causes Osvaldo Alonso to revert to his true form as an actual honey badger. The grounds crew captures him and calls Portland Animal control, who take him away never to be seen again. The ref, unsure what to do, give Alonso a red card for unsportsmanlike conduct. Three minutes later Kalif scores on an unbelievable assist from Nagbe.

• sagcat also got the scoreline right, and was the only person to both guess the 1-0 scoreline and call for the goal to be scored in the first half.
• charlotte sometimes was off on the scoreline, but did correctly call for an Alhassan goal in the first half of the match.
• The spirit award this week goes to fatberry, whose offspring predicted that the Timbers would break some scoring records en route to a 45,500 - 0 win.

My 4-year-old son last night asked for a Timbers story before bed. As we lay there, I went into a pseudo-autobiographical sketch of what I hope goes down today: two quick goals for a 2-0 halftime lead. Seattle comes out and hits the post and the crossbar, before we get two more. A fifth goal late salts it away and we are top of the table.

He liked this story, but asked if it was real or make-believe. I said it was probably real. His response? "Well, I think the Timbers are going to win 45-and-a-half," and here he paused before continuing: "thousand to zero." I’ll go with that. 45,500-0. It’s going to be awesome.

Kickoff is at 7:30, so drop by the temple of the oracle early today and get your predictions in. In case you need a hand though, here are our game preview, preview interview, and most recent training report.