The Thorns Prediction Game: Reading the PTFC Leaves

The Reign have had Portland’s number in 2019. Particularly in this last match, where the Thorns lost the chance for a home semifinal and looked bad doing it. Our players were just as toothless as the Thorns: Nobody scored a single point for match results! This is the first time that’s ever happened. Johnmclarke3 did garner two points for the most rec’d prediction of Sonnett strangeness — either she was on an acid trip, or John was.

The last match of the season has the Thorns hosting the Washington Spirit. The outcome will determine if the Thorns go to Chicago or North Carolina for the semifinal. A win prevents the trip to Cary. The Spirit have nothing at stake in this game, which doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t play hard. But they might have one eye on the beach …

ROSTER REPORT: Both teams should have their usual starting 11 and bench available except possibly Lindsey Horan for whom the two-week break may not have been long enough.

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)

Purce (Unassisted)

Lavelle (PK)

Next, name the first yellow card recipient: First yellow to Dagny.

Then reds, if any. (NOTE: no points awarded for correctly calling a red-card-free match, so take a guess.) Dagny mistakes Paige Neilsen for Theresa Neilsen, has a flashback to Tacoma, and cleans her out.

Make your fun prediction: Mallory Pugh plays like she’s being scouted. Perhaps she is?

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 Reynolds scores from a Boureille assist and that is exactly what happens. P.S. if you say exactly that, and it happens, I will hunt you down and buy you a beer!

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.