The Thorns prediction game: Reading the PTFC leaves – matchday 11

O, happy day! A win by the Portland Thorns meant many points for our players. Ten folks predicted the victory, seven got points for selecting Lindsey Horan as the first yellow card recipient. Only one player predicted the clean sheet. Top honors go to Robboss for calling the win, Horan’s yellow, and the wild bonus for “pointing out” the behavior of the players and coaches.

The Utah Royals come to town for a rematch on Friday evening. The first meeting was a draw at Rio Tinto, but the Royals have been improving since. They may still be missing Kelly O’Hara and Elise Thorsnes to injuries, but they managed to dispatch the Houston Dash without those two.

How this works:

Add a comment to this post. In the comment title put your predicted result, for example 3-1 Thorns.

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

AMC (Klingenberg)

Sinclair (Free kick)

Horan (Unassisted)

Rodriguez (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.) Corsie gets a red for tripping Sinclair on the edge of the box.

And lastly, make your fun prediction:

The Royals wear their robes for the team photo. Meghan Klingenberg tries to join them.

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.

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