Photo courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics
TEMPE – The winds blew, and the sun’s beams shone on the Sun Devils’ backs, and they knew it was time for another matchup in the Big 12.
It meant Arizona State soccer (7-3-4, 2-2-2 Big 12) would take on another tough Big 12 opponent: the Houston Cougars (7-3-4, 4-2-0 Big 12). After a tough match against Iowa State, ASU looked to change the tides. Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, their search will continue as they went on to lose 3-2 in a match filled with controversy over 90 minutes.
The whistle blew, and the referee signaled a foul in the box, awarding the Cougars a penalty. Off to the sideline, Sun Devils head coach Graham Winkworth’s frustration was all but obvious.
“There were a couple of things I wanted to appeal, and they said I can only appeal one. So I’m like, well, I’ve got two appeals for the game, so I’d like to appeal one here, and then appeal the second one here. [Refs said] ‘You can’t do that.’” – Winkworth said.
The Cougars ultimately capitalized on the PK when fourth-year forward Adelhia Ghonda smashed the ball into the back of the net.
Against Iowa State, the Sun Devils controlled the ball for the majority of the game, but against Houston, they seemed to lose their character, struggling in areas they had dominated just 60 hours earlier.
“We just didn’t get to any first and second balls all day. You know, on Thursday night we were winning everything, and today they were first to everything, and all credit to them,” Winkworth said.
The Sun Devils started off on the right foot when third-year forward Sierra Bergen penetrated the defense and scored within the first two minutes.
All seemed well for ASU, yet the Cougars were not deterred by an early fright. Houston responded 36 seconds later, as fourth-year defender Jocelyn Chinea scored on an assist from second-year forward Samira Minor.
“It’s crazy. I’ve never seen that in a soccer game, honestly,” third-year forward Kierra Blundell said
It seemed the Sun Devils got almost too comfortable after starting with an early score.
“I think not getting too high, like obviously me and Sierra, we want to go celebrate, which is great. But the second we do that, we gotta come together and be like, ‘okay, this is nothing,’” Blundell said.
After the penalty kick by Ghonda, the Sun Devils seemed to be trying to find that desperate second goal before the game got out of hand.
Unfortunately, for the Sun Devils, the game got out of control well before halftime. In the 30th minute, the Cougars earned another call, resulting in a free kick.
“Obviously, I don’t want to speak on the ref. I can say I disagree, but you’re always going to have a game where you disagree with the ref.” Blundell said
The Cougars would punish the Sun Devils again with a set-piece goal, furthering a major struggle early in the season.
Fourth-year midfielder Ava Shannon scored on second-year keeper Kennedy Zorn with a shot that barely squeezed past the bottom-left post and Zorn’s arm.
That goal put the Cougars up 3-1 for most of the game; heading into halftime, the Sun Devils had a big mountain to climb if they wanted to earn meaningful points.
“They deserved to lead at halftime; they were the better team at halftime,” Winkworth said
In the end, the Sun Devils made a late push, and Blundell got them closer, scoring a penalty goal in the closing minutes.
Yet it wasn’t enough; the Sun Devils walked away with another loss in their conference record.
“We wanted it to go. We wanted three points, but at the end, can’t dwell on it. We just go to bounce back and learn from our mistakes from this game,” Blundell said.
After a Thursday night matchup against the Cyclones where the shots seemed to just not fall for the Sun Devils, in a game that seemed extremely winnable.
They seemed to run into the same problem with the Cougars, as shots simply couldn’t find the back of the net.
“It’s unlucky. I think last game we had 29 shots, and 14 were on target. Like at that point, it’s just unlucky. Like we just, I mean, you could say we need to work on our finishing and training, but I mean, goals are gonna come,” Blundell said.
The goals certainly have no choice but to come, and the Sun Devils hope it’s sooner rather than later.
“Our next five opponents are really good teams. Games can go any way you want. This is a crazy tough conference,” Blundell said.
Two of their next three opponents are ranked: No. 9 Baylor and No. 13 Colorado. The Sun Devils must find a way to get their offense rolling.
However, before those two tough opponents, the Sun Devils are focusing on what’s directly in front of them, rather than looking ahead.
“Focus on Oklahoma State first. You know, I mean, I know Baylor and Colorado are both ranked, but we’ve got a really good Oklahoma State team away on Friday, and so that’s the only focus right now,” Winkworth said.
The Sun Devils have a tough stretch ahead, after missing the Big 12 Tournament last year following a lackluster Big 12 run with a 3-5-3 record.
They have a lot of work to do if they want a spot in this year’s Big 12 Tournament.
“I think we’ve just got to come together. We ought to watch our film and say ‘how can we improve on this and how can we not let it happen again,’” Blundell said.
