As injuries pile up, Sun Devils lose pivotal Big 12 game vs. Colorado

(Photo: Owen Plagge/WCSN)

TEMPE – Home field advantage is something most teams pride themselves on. For Arizona State Soccer, its early-season home success looked promising. But the Sun Devils haven’t picked up three points in their last four home games – drawing once and losing three.

In a pivotal Big 12 matchup, the Sun Devils (8-6-3, 3-5-1 Big 12) hosted the Colorado Buffaloes (12-4-1, 6-3 Big 12). Colorado dominated the match, winning 2-0.

The Sun Devils began the game with 19 players available. ASU finished with 17 players and 15 outfield players after two starters left with injuries and did not return. 

“We’ve got players that in the last two games that haven’t played all season, getting their chance now,” Winkworth said. “It’s like I told them, you’ve got to be ready when you go in as a substitute, this is your chance. These are your minutes.”

As injuries have piled up for the Sun Devils, Winkworth wants to reconsider his side’s training regimen, beyond his tactic development.

“I do want to think about what we can do differently,” Winkworth said. “We certainly don’t overtrain. So I want to look at what we can potentially do differently as we move forward into the future because I’m watching Colorado warm up with 27 players and I’m watching us warm up with 15.”

After two injuries in less than 25 minutes, ASU found themselves on the attack for 10 minutes with multiple shots attempted and time in the Buffaloes box. 

However, chance creation wasn’t the issue for the Sun Devils; converting those chances was. Alongside depth and injury concerns, the Sun Devils have been in a constant cycle of offensive struggles this season. 

“We’re getting the ball into the final third,” Winkworth said. “We’re creating chances to put in excellent crosses with wide players with time and sometimes when they do put those crosses in, we’re getting in the positions to score goals. But our final cross and our final shot is the same story as Thursday night. It hasn’t been good enough.”

ASU conceded the opening goal off a set piece, a somewhat fitting way. Thirty minutes in, Buffaloes third-year defender Jordan Whiteaker crossed the ball after a corner. Whiteaker found the head of fourth-year forward Hope Leyba, who redirected over the head of second-year goalkeeper Izzy Duink for the opener. 

Conceding goals on set pieces is nothing new for the Sun Devils, as the theme has haunted ASU all season. From their early-season games against North Carolina and their conference game against Houston, ASU has had the same issue all season. 

Despite these struggles, the Sun Devils entered the second half down a goal, with 51% of possession in the first half.

With chance creation a hopeful factor for ASU, Colorado stayed ahead, dictating play in midfield and forcing Duink to make a career-high 7 saves.

Yet in almost poetic fashion, the Sun Devils found themselves on the back half of another set-piece goal in the 61st minute from fourth-year defender Faith Leyba. 

After falling behind 2-0, the offense looked to pick up for ASU, but its lack of depth haunted Winkworth’s side. The attack put seven shots on goal, but it came to nothing as they were shut out for the second straight game. 

Currently, the Sun Devils are outside the Big 12 playoff picture, sitting three points behind eighth place, with two games to go.  Their fate is no longer in their hands, needing a lot to make the postseason.

It starts with a must-win match against Territorial Cup rivals Arizona (5-7-5, 2-2-3 Big 12) on Friday – ASU’s final home game.

“Right now, though, our sole focus, mine in about 2 hours, the team when they wake up tomorrow morning, it’s all about U of A.” Winkworth said.

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