The Thorns Prediction Game: Reading the PTFC Leaves – All the marbles edition

Portland beat Seattle for the second week in a row, this time 2-1, and secured a berth in the Championship Final on Saturday. Constant Weeder saw a perfect prediction stolen by a poor offside call by the eastside AR. Instead, honors go to One.Goal.Beyond with the correct score, both Portland goal scorers, and an assist for 11 of the possible 20 points. We have a new leader with one week to go! Robboss remains in the middle-of-the-pack position, with seven c’s only five points back.

The championship is next; a repeat matchup of last year’s in Orlando. Remember that a 90-minute tie will go to overtime and possibly PKs – no draw is possible. No points are given for PK shootout goals, but you can list them in your wild prediction if you think it will come to that.

This is the last contest for 2018 – winners will be announced, and prizes awarded, in a recap next week. A big thank you to all our players throughout the season!

INJURY REPORT: The Thorns are missing Meg Morris and Katherine Reynolds to SEI, and Hayley Raso to fractured vertebrae. Emily Sonnett left the Seattle match early with a knee issue and there has been no word since on her status. My guess is that she plays – the Thorns have no viable replacement.

The Courage are missing Kawamura, King, and Zerboni -- all with SEI. For the semi-final, they had listed Hamilton as questionable, but she played. Their normal starting goalkeeper, Katelyn Rowland, was questionable with concussion and did not play.

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:

Lussi (Klingenberg)

AMC (Free kick)

Heath (Unassisted)

Williams (PK)

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

Then reds, if any. (NOTE: no points awarded for correctly calling a red-card-free match, so take a guess.) Hinckle gets sent off for pulling Lussi down by the ponytail.

Make your fun prediction:

When Hinckle is sent off, the stadium erupts in glee – the cheering does not stop for five full minutes.

Lastly, please recommend one of the other players’ fun prediction.

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.