Self-Inflicted Wounds Too Much for ASU to Overcome in Loss

Arizona State women’s soccer scored twice in Sunday’s game against No. 9 TCU — unfortunately, one of them was on their own net. The Sun Devils’ 2-1 defeat was upsetting for the sold-out crowd that packed the stands on family weekend in Tempe.

Junior defender Lucy Fazackerley’s own goal in the 59th minute of the game was the dagger as the Sun Devils now fall to 10-5-3, and their hopes of making the Big 12 tournament fade.

Head coach Graham Winkworth didn’t credit Fazackerley’s goal as being the main turning point in the game. 

“We’ve got to do a better job of denying the goal from the source,“ he said.

The Horned Frogs were forcing heavy pressure in their attacking third all game. 57% of TCU’s possession of the ball was on ASU’s side of the field. 

Because of their heavy offensive press, the Horned Frogs dominated the shot count, outshooting the Sun Devils 23 to 5.

The game started with high intensity, as both teams came out of the gate extremely aggressive. Still, neither side could capitalize on its chances, leaving both teams scoreless for much of the first half.

But a TCU corner kick in the 37th minute is what changed the tide in favor of the visiting squad.

As the Horned Frog players crowded the box, ready for the corner kick, there was one player who stood out, towering above opponents and teammates.

5-foot-10 sophomore center back Morgan Brown leaped into the air, perfectly timing her jump with her teammates’ crosser. Her head connected with the ball, rocketing it into the left side of the goal, just avoiding the reach of senior goalkeeper Pauline Nelles. 

Brown’s goal – the first of the game for either team – set the tone for the game ahead.

ASU has been terrific at forcing corner kicks this year. It leads the Big 12 with 131 corner kicks taken this year. But it was the Horned Frogs who won the corner kick battle on Sunday. TCU’s seven corner kicks, compared to ASU’s two, were a huge part as to why they were able to pull off the victory in Tempe. 

ASU’s lack of depth played a key role in TCU’s dominant performance Sunday. With many players sidelined with injuries, ASU had a hard time substituting its players. The 1 p.m. kickoff time didn’t help. 

“It’s a hot day,” Winkworth said. “I’d rather play them on a Thursday night when it’s a little cooler. And we’ve got six season-ending injuries, so it makes it a little bit challenging.”

The Sun Devils’ issues with limited substitutions surfaced early in the half, as they came out looking slow and sluggish, committing several mental lapses. Passing errors led to shots on goal for TCU that should have never happened in the first place. 

And in the 59th minute, the unthinkable happened – the kind of mistake every soccer player dreads.

While trying to fend off a TCU attack, Fazackerley attempted to head the ball out of bounds – but instead sent it into the back of her own net.

This mistake left the Sun Devils in a tough position for the rest of the game, now down 2-0.

At around the midpoint of the second half, ASU looked like it had caught a second wind. The offense looked energized. The defense looked aggressive. 

All of their positive momentum came to fruition in the 66th minute when senior forward Cameron Valladares booted the ball into the right corner of the goal, giving ASU its first score on the correct goal.

But the Sun Devils weren’t able to rally much after that. TCU shut them down for the rest of the game and picked up a hard-fought win. 

A loss like this was not how the Sun Devils envisioned their final home game of the year – especially for the seniors, in what was their last at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium.

In the postgame press conference, both players and coaches didn’t dwell much on the game’s result. They looked forward to their match on Thursday, the Territorial Cup vs Arizona in Tucson.

“All of our eyes have to be on the next game,” Valladares said. “That’s the only game we can control.”

The Sun Devils kick off against the Wildcats in Tucson at Mulcahy Stadium at 7:00 p.m. MST. The game streams on ESPN+.

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