Hard to top the emotional high of The Return of Caiya: The EmPridening, but it’s back to work today.
Both our two punters who played last week got the result, and Ken guessed correctly that Hanks would score. Barcasiempre nicked the “fun” points with a convoluted tale of striker mojo.
So here’s where we stand after Matchday 20; the race is touch-tight…
| Player | Latest Round | Cumulative Score |
| PTFC Dave | 0 | 14 |
| Ken | 4 | 13 |
| Barcasiempre | 5 | 15 |
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.
First yellow means just that: the player – the first player and only the first player – who receives a yellow. Not the first player on each team. If more than one player listed as “first yellow” all the punter’s predictions for that category will be voided.
This afternoon it’s the return fixture against the expansion Denver Summit. Denver is the better of the expansion clubs so far this season. They’ve made a couple of leaps above the red line, most notably in May, when the Summit went 3-0-1 and were briefly in 7th. After beating us there in July, however, Denver has slumped, 1-2-2 to lie currently in 11th, 24pts, 6-6-7, 25GF, 25GA.
Janine (Beckie) Sonis is the Denver gun; 8 goals, 4 assists. Former Thorn Yazmeen Ryan adds 5 and 3, and foreign mercenaries Mellisa Kossler and Natasha Flint contribute 4 goals each.
The Thorns enter this match in 5th, 26pts, 34GF, 29GA, but with San Diego’s 4-2 win over Utah yesterday the Thorns have a chance – with a Washington loss to Orlando tomorrow (yeah, I know, but, still…) to jump as high as 2nd.
This should be a real banger.
Last Meeting: July 18, 2026, 2-1 loss, Centennial Stadium, Centennial, CO.
- The Thorns Prediction Game: MD 21 – POR v DEN - August 22, 2026
- Thorns FC: Gomen nasai! - August 20, 2026
- The Thorns Prediction Game: MD 20 – POR v ORL - August 14, 2026
Thorns 4-2
It’s another all-gas-no-defense game for the Thorns, but buoyed by the crowd, they come out on top.
Wilson (Tordin)
Tordin (Wilson)
Hanks (Vignola)
Perry (PK)
Sonis (Ryan)
Ryan (Heaps)
Yellow: Gaetino
Red: Perry
During the pregame Tobin Heath gala, Heath, Wilson, and Moultrie all talk about how great it is to play in Providence Park and live in Portland. All five former Thorns – Heaps, Sonis, Abby Smith, Ryan, and Kat Asman – get the memo and scrap their current contracts to sign with the Thorns.
Thorns 3-2
Wilson (PK)
Wilson (Tordin)
Tordin(Unassisted)
Heaps (Ryan)
Sonis (Heaps)
Yellow = Vignola
Red = Arnold
I too like the Thorns 4-2, because well for one Abby Smith is out and two Heaps is out. The bettors favor Denver slightly. So… I guess I keep on being optimistic and guess a hat trick for Soph again.
Wilson (Tordin)
Wilson (Nijstad)
Wilson (Tordin) breaks Heaths record!
Ryan (Sonis)
Sonis Ryan)
Hanks (Lyles)
Yellow Card: Perry
Red Card: Vilahamn
The ball is kicked out hits Vilahamn in the side of the head and the ref books him for an illegal header. The guy can’t catch a break! The Thorns can contest this can’t they?