Reading the PTFC Leaves: Season Six Begins

We’re back for another season of NWSL drama. The preseason has seen its share with Boston folding, FCKC moving, the schedule that seemed to never come, still no commissioner. And the Thorns, with new faces and our perpetual specter of injuries and late arrivals.

But enough of that – it’s time to play football! And that means it’s time for your predictions.

The Thorns travel to Cary, North Carolina on Saturday for a rematch of the NWSL Final. Both teams have the majority of last year’s core with the Courage adding Crystal Dunn but losing Rookie of the Year Ashley Hatch, and defender Taylor Smith. Two important midfield destroyers, Mewis and Doniak, are injured.

Portland are also missing some key pieces in Heath, Raso, Andressinha, Carpenter and possibly Emily Menges. Can they prevail on the road? Last regular season the teams met twice and each match ended 1-0 for the home team.

Scoring:

· Correct score: 5 points

· Correct result (draw/win/loss): 3 points

· Each clean sheet: 2 points

· Each goal-scorer: 1 point

· Each FK/PK/assist/lack of assist: 1 point

· Goal/assist bonus: 1 point

· Player with the first yellow card of the match: 1 point

· Each player with a red card: 1 point (Cannot earn points for predicting 0 red cards)

· Most recommended/most outrageously accurate prediction: 2 points

Some ground rules and explanations/clarifications (the fine print):

Comments must be posted before kickoff, but you can edit or amend an earlier prediction right up to the starting whistle.

Keep your scoreline predictions realistic. No crazy scores just to pad out your odds of getting goals and assists.

The goal/assist bonus is an additional point if you predict the correct scorer and assistant on the same goal, for example, you say Onumonu scores from an Horan assist and that is exactly what happens.

Be clear whether you think a goal will be unassisted, assisted, or from a PK/FK. Unassisted = no assist, run of play; Assisted = player who got the assist; PK/FK = not in run of play. For the purposes of this thread, Penalty Kick and Free Kick are the same thing. No entry means unassisted.

Format:

In the comment title post your predicted result, for example 3-1 Thorns.

In the body of your comment, start with the goals and assists, like so:

Weber (Klingenberg)

Sinclair (Free kick)

Horan (Unassisted)

Williams (PK)

Next, name the first yellow card recipient: First yellow to Sonnett

Then reds, if any. (NOTE: no points awarded for correctly calling a red-card-free match, so take a guess.) Dahlkemper gets a red for tripping Sinclair on the edge of the box.

And lastly, make your fun prediction:

Paul Riley gets so angry at the referee that he tears out his hair. Oh, wait.

Have fun, tell your friends, let me know if you have any questions or if I screw up your score.