Arizona State soccer falls to NWSL’s Portland Thorns FC in exhibition match

(Photo: Steve Rodriguez/ASU Athletics)

Not a lot of college teams get to say that they played against pros, but that’s exactly what the Arizona State women’s soccer team did on Sunday as they faced off against the Portland Thorns FC of the National Women’s Soccer League in Tucson, Ariz.

The Sun Devils came up short as the defending champion Thorns won 5-0. However, head coach Kevin Boyd was especially pleased with the play of forward Cali Farquharson.

“I wanted to see what she looks like against a pro because I think she is a pro. She’s a player that should be in the league in a couple years, and I think she showed that,” Boyd said.

The 12^th minute was the Sun Devil’s best opportunity to score. Farquharson was through to goal, but her shot from 18 yards out was deflected by the keeper.

“You know, she didn’t get the most support from our team, but when she got the ball, I mean she’s just so slippery she gets out of things. She’s very tough to try and get the ball off,” Boyd said.

Farquharson said there was definitely a difference in the level of play between both teams.

“It’s an honor playing against a professional team. To see the level that a professional team is at compared to a D1 — there’s a big difference,” Farquharson said.

The main thing Boyd wanted to see was which of his players could hang with the pros and which ones couldn’t.

Defender McKenzie Berryhill admits that she was star struck at the beginning of the game.

“I was so scared from the beginning. I’m not going to lie. You hear the big names like Christine Sinclair. I panicked, not going to lie. My first 10 minutes were scary, but it was fun,” McKenzie Berryhill said.

In this spring season, ASU has been trying to evolve their system so they can adjust to teams with different formations. They played in a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond midfield against the Thorns.

“It was great to play them because they play the same system. The difference was their number 10 and their two attacking left rights were so interchangeable it caused our team defensive nightmares, and we didn’t do that to them,” Boyd said.

Mid fielder Lucy Lara, who is coming off of a knee injury last season, helped create the few opportunities the Sun Devil attack had. She felt comfortable in her new attacking midfield role and in the new system.

“My team helps me out a lot. Honestly if it wasn’t for them communicating with me, I would be lost in the attacking mid because they see everything behind me and they tell me where to go,” Lara said.

Boyd was also pleased with Lara’s efforts.

“I thought Lucy emerged in the game… and she hasn’t even played a full season for us yet. I liked what she did,” Boyd said.

ASU will continue their spring soccer schedule in Irvine, Calif. on April 12 against UC Irvine.

You can reach Anthony Prosceno on Twitter @The_A_Pro or via email at a-pro7@hotmail.com