The first full weekend of Pac-12 play came and went for ASU soccer, and the Sun Devils return from their weekend trip to the Bay Area having gotten their first taste of what’s to come the rest of the season: tough games, skilled opponents and uphill battles.
The Sun Devils surprised many when they battled to a draw against No. 11 California last Thursday, but a Sunday afternoon loss to No. 2 Stanford changed the tone. The 6-0 defeat served as a wake-up call.
Despite the positive result against Cal, both games exposed serious weaknesses that must be addressed if they want to compete against equally tough competition in-conference.