The Thorns Prediction Game: Reading the PTFC Leaves

A lackluster finish to the regular season saw our players maintain their positions in the table. Much like the Thorns, who couldn’t hit the net, but didn’t need to thanks to Marta and the Pride. Three players predicted a clean sheet for the Thorns, so they garnered two points each. FDChief takes the honors with the most-rec’d tale of Nadine Angerer channeling her inner Tonya Harding.

Now we have a semifinal match in Bridgeview, Illinois, on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. (Portland time). The Thorns have owned the Red Stars for years, including this season. And the Red Stars have been to the semifinals annually since 2015 and lost every time.

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)

Kerr (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.) Alyssa Mautz collects two yellows.

Make your fun prediction: After a week of talk about breaking their curse, the Red Stars look sloppy and meek. Regardless, Rory Dames has his contract renewed immediately postgame.

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.