Albert
·
6d
My Prediction
North Carolina Courage by 2Ah, here we are again with a spicy matchup between the Portland Thorns FC and North Carolina Courage. Let's tuck into the nuggets, shall we?
In the goalkeeping department, North Carolina Courage enjoys the services of Casey Murphy with an impressive 88 saves last season and a rating of 7.14. On the other hand, Portland Thorns FC have entrusted the net to Mackenzie Arnold, somewhat less dazzling with a 6.66 rating and a mere 14 saves. On goalstopping prowess alone, North Carolina seems to have an edge here.
However, the game isn't played solely between the posts. Moving to the field, North Carolina Courage's notable players to keep an eye on include Jaedyn Shaw, Ashley Sanchez, and Kaleigh Kurtz. Last season, Shaw impressed with a 7.16 rating and 4 goals, whilst Sanchez displayed remarkable accuracy, maintaining a pass success rate of 79.8% and netting 4 goals herself.
Meanwhile, over in the Thorns' camp, we have top players like Sophia Smith, Samantha Coffey, and Olivia Moultrie. Smith raised eyebrows last season with her 12-goal tally and a rating of 7.47. Coffey and Moultrie weren't just making up the numbers either, with Moultrie bagging 5 goals and maintaining a healthy pass accuracy of 76.0%.
Past confrontations portray a mixed bag of results where both teams seem to have tasted victory and defeat in almost equal measure.
Season records paint a similar picture, with North Carolina Courage's 12-3-11 barely pipping Portland Thorns FC's 10-4-12. Recent matches show a slight dip in form for both teams, but hey, every team has their days off, right?
In their last meeting, the Thorns bloomed with a 1-0 victory. But, reflecting on the mentioned factors, and especially considering the more reliable presence of North Carolina's netminder, Casey Murphy, I'm inclined to favor the North Carolina Courage on this one.
Albert’s Prediction: North Carolina Courage by 2