Guess the Starting XI and Final Score (MLS Match #29 -FC Dallas

Welcome to another season of our Vancouver Whitecaps contest “Guess the Starting XI and Final Score”. As is tradition, thanks to former regular Spencer for starting this several years ago. It has grown into a great contest and I am appreciative of him for the original idea. Like last season, we will break the contest up into the three ‘seasons’: first half, second half, and non-MLS. We will continue to have fun monthly ‘bonus’ prediction categories, with some being based on whatever it topical at the time. Last season we had things like “Robbo post-match quotes”, “yellow cards”, “first goal scorer”, and several others. However, to start the season, we will keep March simple. With that out of the way, let’s remind you all how the scoring is done.

Contest Details

• Contest article will be posted 2-3 days prior to game day.
• We will keep track of first half, second half, and monthly winners so that late joiners will have something to play for.
• I will have a separate ‘contest’ for Voyageurs and Champions League.
• As the MLS season is 34 matches, each half of the season will be based on 17 matches, with your worst two match predictions being dropped. This will allow everyone a few misses or bad guesses throughout the season.
• Predictions will be ‘valid’ if posted HERE 1.5 hours prior to kickoff (or half an hour prior to the lineup being officially announced).

How Scoring is Determined

• You receive 1 point for every player you correctly guess to be in the Starting XI. Receive 1 bonus point for correctly predicting 10 starters. Receive 3 bonus points for correctly predicting 11 starters.
• You get 5 points for correctly guessing Win/Lose/Draw.
• You receive 1 point for correctly guessing each team’s final score. Receive 1 bonus point for correctly guessing both teams final score (for a total of 3).

That means, if you correctly predict the Starting XI, Final Score, and Winner, you can earn 22 points!

After each match, I will tally the scores and update the standings, which will be posted with the following match’s prediction article. I will post three sets of standings. First, the results from the previous match. Second, the monthly standings. Third, the first/second half standings (with your worst two match predictions removed).

Match Review (Seattle Sounders) and Preview (FC Dallas)

It was an interesting match for predictions. There was one big question mark, would Mezquida slot in for Reyna, and leave Felipe on the bench two straight matches, or would we see Felipe move forward in the formation (or take out Teibert or Ghazal in defensive midfield?). Turns out, Mezquida started, with Felipe on the bench. That quandry would have kept some people from getting perfect lineups, except for one other little wrinkle. While some people predicted that Levis would get another start at LB, some of us (including myself) thought that de Jong would be at that spot. As a result of those two questions, it meant that many of us had lineup predictions of 9/11, just missing those bonus points. However, three participants, chuckbiscuits, AdamP17, and GreyHouseEffect were able to get the linups correct, and scored a perfect lineup. Congrats.

Speaking of chuckbiscuits and GreyHouseEffect, not only were they able to correctly predict the lineup, but they also predicted the score (Sounders 2-1), AND the first goal scorer (Kamara). As a result, BOTH obtained a perfect, perfect (because of the bonus category) match score of 25. Congrats to both. We rarely have one, let alone two in a match. Meanwhile, on the other end of the board were people like myself, who only managed 9 points :(.

In the Second Half Standings, chuckbiscuits holds a two-point lead over The Squirrel, while we have a three-way tie for third, between CascadiaCrunchFC, GreyHouseEffect, and Isabelt; each with 127 points and six back of chuckbiscuits.

The Whitecaps are home this Sunday, facing their rival (?) FC Dallas. It is a home match, and Dallas is not the best at home, but Vancouver hasn’t exactly been lighting it up. Reyna will be back, so expect him to start. The two questions for me is a) does Levis start again? and b) does Felipe sit for a third straight match? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Throughout all of September and October our “bonus” contest will be first goal scorer. Correctly predict the first Whitecaps player to score in the match and earn an extra three points to your September/October score (doesn’t count for 2nd Half Standings). New this time around, you can predict no goal scorer if you feel the Whitecaps will be shut out. However you MUST write no scorer (or something like that), even if you predict a scoreline where the Caps do not get a goal. I need to see that ‘no scorer’ prediction. Likewise, if you predict the Caps get shutout, but want to hedge by predicting a goal scorer just in case, feel free to do so.

That is all from me in this one. Good luck with your predictions!

Injury/Suspension Report (Updated as Information Becomes Available)

Injured: Jose Aja & Jordon Mutch

Suspended: None