The Thorns Prediction Game

Matchday 24. Season Finale!

The Thorns win the league! But our little game is still undecided with two, possibly three, games to go. 4-4-2 took honors this week predicting a win, the Chapman yellow card, and a popular story of sleeveless Thorns.

[1-0 Thorns win, Horan from Weaver, first yellow = Chapman, no red card.]

NOTE: The game will continue as long as the Thorns are playing. The semifinal is November 14, so check back here on the 12th at 2:30pm Pacific to enter your guesses. Should we win, the Final is November 20 which means the prediction game will open on the 18th at 9:00am PST.

The final regular season march is versus the slumping NC Courage. The Courage has everything to play for, with the final playoff spot in their reach. But that’s been the case for several games and they’ve not gotten it done, losing three in a row by a combined 9-2.

With two weeks off before the match, and two more after, and nothing at stake, who knows what lineup Parsons will use? Will Everett make a encore, does Hogan get a start? Or is it business as usual to stay dialed in for the semifinal?

[Last meeting: September 12, 2021 at WakeMed Park, 1-0 Thorns win.]

How this works:
Add a comment to this post. As your first line, put your predicted result, for example 3-1 Thorns.

In the body of your comment, start with the goals and assists, like so:
Smith (Klingenberg)
Salem (Free kick)
Moultrie (Unassisted)
Williams (PK)

Next, name the first yellow card recipient: Merritt Mathias
Then a red card. (NOTE: no points awarded for correctly calling a red-card-free match, so take a guess.) Madison Pogarch for mimicking mooning the referee after getting an undeserved yellow.

Make your fun prediction, and give a “thumbs up” to anybody else’s prediction that tickles your fancy: The two teams meet up in the parking lot before the game to burn an effigy of Paul Riley. Nadine Angerer produces not one but two lighters from her pockets.

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
· A player with a red card: 1 point
· Most liked/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 Hubly 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.

The game thread will usually be posted 48 hours before each match.