The Thorns Prediction Game: Reading the PTFC Leaves – Matchday 24

Portland eked out a victory at Audi Field, winning 1-0. The Spirit’s point-less and scoreless streaks continue. Half our players correctly called the clean sheet, but nobody got Tobin Heath as the goal scorer. Robboss takes the weekly honors with 8 of a possible 16 points for calling the clean sheet, a Raso assist, and his most-rec’d wild prediction of postgame pugilism.

The season finale is next, with Seattle coming to Providence Park. If the Thorns win, we will host Seattle next weekend as the second seed. If the Thorns draw they will be third, since the best Chicago could do it tie us on points. We hold the first tiebreaker. A third-place finish means a trip to Memorial. If we lose, then we’re either at Memorial or Wake Med depending on what Chicago does in Utah.

Since there will be at least one more match in the Thorns season, this is not the last week for our little game. Next week may be your last chance at glory. Currently, Timber Dave stands to collect the winner’s prize and Robboss the middle-of-the-pack award.

INJURY REPORT: the Thorns are missing Meg Morris and Kat Reynolds (Hopp?) to SEI, and Hayley Raso to fractured vertebrae. Meghan Klingenberg (adductor) is listed as questionable. Seattle will be missing Yael Averbuch and Kiersten Dallstream to SEI. Adriana Leon is out with excused absence. Bev Yanez (broken foot), Allie Long (knee sprain), and Megan Rapinoe (ribs) are listed as questionable.

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)

Fishlock (PK)

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

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

Make your fun prediction:

Michelle Betos gets a nice cheer when her name is announced. But Fishlock is roundly boo’ed, even by the stadium PA announcer.

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.