Coupla things.
First, we’re doing the prediction game today because we’re in the middle of another goddamn short turnaround week; LA away Sunday, San Diego here tomorrow, so we need to get our bets down ASAP.
Second, because it’s such a damn short week, and my 1) little sis is here visiting from New York, 2) my daughter’s 20th birthday was yesterday, and 3) it was Spring Shinsa for Portland kendo (which included my practicing, testing for – and passing – the level of nikyu, so ganbatte, me!), that I haven’t had a spare moment to do Thorns things. Like. not even watch the LA match – Thorns FC: is gonna be late this week – and so here we are.
The good news is that Portland’s run of good form continued last Sunday, knocking off Angel City 1-2 behind late goals from Pietra Tordin and – finally – Sophia Wilson. Prisca Chilufya stole the sheet with a late-late goal.
PTFC Dave was all over it, nailing result, score, and picking Wilson to break her duck. Barcasiempre and Ken both got the result (Ken was only a goal off the score, so close!) and Barca got both Thorns scorers. Ken and Dave split the “fun” points, both with yarns of playernapping by Angel City magnates.
Here’s the league table before Matchday 7:
| Player | Latest Round | Cumulative Score |
| PTFC Dave | 10 | 36 |
| Ken | 4 | 20 |
| DanXP2 | 0 | 4 |
| Barcasiempre | 5 | 9 |
| Daniel Stratton | 0 | 6 |
How all this works:
Before the upcoming Thorns match add a comment to this post. As your first line, put your predicted result, for example 1-3 Thorns.
In the body of your comment, start with the goals and assists, like so:
Wilson (Fleming)
Reyes (Free kick)
Moultrie (Unassisted)
Rodman (PK)
Next, name the first yellow card recipient: Sophia Wilson
Then a red card. (NOTE: no points awarded for correctly calling a red-card-free match, so take a guess.) Trinity Rodman 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: “Ryan gets the start against her former club. She gets through 70 minutes without fouling her former teammates until she can’t take it anymore. She pushes over Perry, gives Muller a wedgie, gives Arnold a noogie, then flips off the Riveters and runs out of Providence Park, never to be seen again. The ref issues a red card, which she later contests, and loses.” (h/t to ABell4)
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 Castellanos scores from a Moultrie 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 = dead ball, not in run of play. FK includes olimpicos from corners. No entry means unassisted.
Tomorrow we get to see the return fixture of the Thorns only 2026 defeat and a top-two clash as tabletop San Diego rolls into town.
The Thorns second spot (4-1-1, 13pts) is within a win’s breadth of SDW (5-0-1, 15pts), and the two clubs’ are damn near inseparable on the stats page; San Diego 11GF/5GA/GD+6) leading the league in two of those categories (tied with ACFC on GF, and behind – improbably – Gotham’s 4GA) but Portland is right behind – 10GF/6GA/GD +4).
The difference is in the progress.
Portland has had a bit more up-and-down; losing in San Diego, drawing in Carolina.
After an opening day shutout loss to Houston, the Wave has ripped off five straight, and in a most economical fashion. This is not the Angels slowly descending from three- and four-goal whippings to leaking more and more goals. Here’s how the Wave stacked up their points:
MD 2 (@ Utah) 1-2 (Dudinha, Godfrey)
MD 3 (Portland) 3-1 (Dudinha, Godfrey, Barcenas)
MD 4 (Chicago) 2-0 (Godfrey, Barcenas)
MD 5 (@ Boston) 0-1 (Ludmila)
MD 6 (@Denver) 2-3 (Godfrey, Wesley, OG)
As you can see, Lia Godfrey has been San Diego’s danger woman this season, four goals and an assist on only five shots, all on frame. Dudinha and Melanie Barcenas are less clinical – Dudinha’s two goals come off 13 shots, 9 on frame, Barcenas’ two off five and four – but still players that will need to be marked out of the match.
The stats sheet from LA looks like the Thorns defending gave Angel City a bunch of looks; 19 shots, 8 on frame including 4 blocks. That worked to stifle Jonsdottir, but the San Diego attack is a bit more diverse. Can Portland shut down the Wave’s attack enough to go top?
We’ll see tomorrow!
(POR v SDW, Previous meeting: Snapdragon Stadium, March 25, 2025, 3-1 away loss)
- The Thorns Prediction Game: MD 7 POR v SDW - April 28, 2026
- The Thorns Prediction Game: MD 6 ACFC v POR - April 21, 2026
- Thorns FC: The Curse of Cary - April 8, 2026
