Ulsan HD head coach Kim Pan-gon has shared his thoughts following his team's narrow defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns, expressing his belief that Ulsan should have come away with a win.
Ulsan suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to Masandawana at the Inter & Co Stadium on Wednesday morning, with Iqraam Rayners scoring the decisive goal.
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Rayners found the back of the net twice more during the match, but both goals were disallowed, one for handball and the other for offside, following VAR reviews.
The result in Orlando saw the South African giants take the lead at the top of Group F following Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense's goalless draw on Tuesday.
Despite Downs currently leading the group, Pan-gon has insisted Ulsan’s upcoming matches will be even more challenging, as he believes Dortmund and Fluminense are stronger than Sundowns.
"We had targeted this game to win because we understand the other two teams in the group, Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund, are favourites," Pan-gon said after the match, per Times Sport.
"Our players gave their best efforts in this game and we're very proud of their efforts. Now we need to recover quickly for the next game.
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"It's disappointing that we didn't get the win and the points we wanted, but I think we were able to execute some of the tactics we had worked on while preparing for the tournament.
"I think the players did the best they could under the circumstances."
Ulsan now have to quickly shift their focus to their next match against Fluminense, while Sundowns prepare to face Dortmund this coming weekend.
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