ASU Soccer: Roundtable previewing the 2017 season

After finishing as the worst team in the Pac-12, ASU soccer will look to improve this season and surpass expectations under new head coach Graham Winkworth.

Last season is well in the past for ASU soccer as they are ready to begin the new season under new leadership and wealth of new players.

Headlined by transfer Jemma Purfield and some exciting freshmen players, Arizona State will look to exceed expectations after they were tabbed to finish 11th in the Pac-12 ahead of only Oregon State.

Our soccer coverage team, Alyanna Harina and Sam Ficarro, had a roundtable discussing the upcoming season with keys for success, players to watch, how ASU stacks up in the Pac-12 and what would be a successful season for the Sun Devils.

Last season, Arizona State finished as the worst team in the Pac-12 while battling numerous injuries. What is a key for the Sun Devils this season?

Alyanna Harina: I think the Sun Devils really need to work on putting goals on the board. Towards the end of the season last year they really struggled as an offense on scoring. ASU is really going to need to work on utilizing movement between their midfield and forwards alongside working on set pieces with the defense. If they’re not getting good looks with the mids and the forwards and top scorers like Jazmarie Mader can’t stay healthy, then they really need to be working on getting some set piece plays off of corners and free kicks to get them some opportunities.

More from Devils in Detail

Sam Ficarro: The key for the Sun Devils is their defense. When Mader went down with injury, their attack fizzled out and was forced to park the bus and absorb pressure. Arizona State was not built to be a counter-attack team. With first-year goalkeepers starting all but one match last season, the defense struggled to be organized and conceded many goals in the final five minutes of each half. If they can avoid injuries, and control more possession, that should fix the problems in the back.

Which player do you think will make the biggest impact this season?

Alyanna: Jemma Purfield will have a huge impact on the Sun Devils on both sides of the ball. She has the versatility to play offense and still score as a forward. Since the Sun Devils struggled to put up points and conceded the second most number of goals last season, her experience leading past teams and working with Coach Winkworth will be largely influential for the ASU.

Sam: I’ll go with Mader. She was the team’s leading goal scorer with eight and was pretty much their go-to scorer. Arizona State struggled when she was out for the final six games of the season being shut in five of those games scoring just one goal. With Winkworth saying he will likely use two wingbacks, the chances for Mader should increase with a large number of crosses coming into the box.

Where does Arizona State stack up in the Pac-12?

Alyanna: With all the new changes coming into the program, the transfers, the signings, the new leadership, it’ll be hard for me to put ASU in the top tier of the Pac-12. I think that the Sun Devils will stand their grounds with teams like Oregon and Oregon State, maybe even Arizona, but in reality, I find it hard to put them anywhere better than 9th.

Sam: I think the Sun Devils will still be in the bottom half of the teams, but I think they were extremely unlucky in Pac-12 play conceding goals either after bad calls from the referee or late in the match. I think they’re better than both Washington and Oregon schools and maybe Arizona. I think finishing eighth or ninth is a realistic finish this season.

What would constitute as a successful season for the Sun Devils in Winkworth’s first season?

Alyanna: Winkworth’s career with South Alabama is extremely impressive and the amount of talent he’s brought on to the Sun Devils makes it hard not to expect big things, but I think what will constitute this season as a success would be a turnaround from their 1-9-1 conference season last year, if they don’t make it to .500, I’d say even a two game improvement, along with a cut down on goals conceded would constitute the season as a success.

Next: ASU Soccer: Can the forwards stay healthy and consistent?

Sam: Improvement. That will constitute as a good season. Injuries will play a huge part and it will take a few matches for Arizona State to get comfortable in Winkworth’s system, but they will definitely be a tough team to play against. Ohio State is a tough match to begin the season, but the rest of the non-conference schedule is not overly challenging. Pac-12 play will be tough with five teams ranked in the Top 25, but with the addition of Purfield and the freshmen, ASU will have the depth to withstand the test. While an NCAA Tournament berth is not expected, a record around .500 would be a great building block for Winkworth’s tenure.