Guess the Starting XI & Final Score 2019 (MLS Match #14 - New York Red Bulls)

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 half-an-hour prior to the lineup being officially announced (1 hour before kickoff).

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).

RECAP (courtesy of AtlantisB and Tres_Tristes_Tigres

It looks like MDS’ claims at his airport presser of lineup uncertainty and squad rotation may have been overblown. Like I noted last match, I think we are used to Carl Robinson’s massive lineup changes. MDS made only two changes from Wednesday night, meaning that we had a LOT of low lineup scores. Following a match in which only one contestant missed a lineup bonus, no one was able to correctly guess more than nine players this match. Shout out to Airos though for being the only person to guess fewer than two incorrect players. Unfortunately for them, but perhaps fortunately for the Caps, Felipe was not cloned prior to the match.

We had a four-way tie at the top of the standings this match, with each having a poor lineup (7/11) but acing the winner (draw) and score (1-1). Good job AtlantisB on making a change from 2-2 to 1-1. Worked out for you/me.

Speaking of AtlantisB, they (me) continues their good month with their third, out of four matches, first place finish. That has given AtlantisB the May Standings lead with 69 points. However, IslandLife is right behind them with an equally impressive month. They have finished at the top of the match standings twice out of four.

Switching over to the First Half Standings, tecate has a one point lead over AtlantisB (151 to 150) with Island Life third at 146. Rounding out the top five are AmandaC (145) and Westsider13 (143). With four matches to go in the first half the ‘title’ is still very much up for grabs. We could see the May winner also be the First Half winner.

It is another short rest for the Caps as they play in New York on Wednesday. There are not a lot of options for Vancouver as they are getting hit by injuries. We don’t know if Felipe will be able to go, nor Erice or Bangoura. If none can play, MDS won’t have too many lineup choices to make. That could mean that the score prediction could be easy (Caps loss), but we know never to make assumptions.

Time to make your predictions. Don’t forget, we are still in May, so that means first sub in/out is still in-play. As always we will have our scouting report in Know the Enemy and our Pre-Match articles in the next day or two.

Good Luck!