The Thorns Prediction Game: Reading the PTFC Leaves

The Thorns played down to the worst team in the league and, with a major assist from the referee, once again embarrassed themselves at home versus Sky Blue. The 1-1 result felt like a loss. The Thorns dropped back below North Carolina in the table and are now in a position of needing to win nine of their last ten matches to guarantee the Shield.

Our winner this week was Danxp2017 who called a Sinclair penalty kick for three points. For the first time in the history of our little game we had a red card correctly called, by Constant Weeder. Johnmclarke3 had the most rec’d wild prediction of Coach Marx avoiding the long gaze of USSF.

On Wednesday evening, we’re off to Cheney Field in Tacoma for the first time. The Thorns historically struggled at Memorial Stadium in Seattle. Perhaps with that curse gone we can begin a new, better, tradition.

ROSTER REPORT: As of August 2, Ellie Carpenter was out for the Thorns while the Reign were without Utsugi and Cox. The USWNT players should be back although Rapinoe has yet to appear in Tacoma since leaving for the World Cup in May.

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)

Rapinoe (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.) Allie Long.

Make your fun prediction: After her PK, Rapinoe dons a bad combover wig and mimes typing on a phone. The crowd starts chanting “Megan for President!”

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.