Selangor: Selangor FC head coach Katsuhito Kinoshi does not regard the squad’s opening defeat to Bangkok United in the Asian Champions League 2 yesterday as a tragedy. Instead, the Japanese coach said his players showed resilience by scoring twice despite being reduced to 10 men in the 4-2 loss.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kinoshi expressed that a two-goal difference is not catastrophic and praised his players for maintaining a strong mindset and not giving up, even when playing with a numerical disadvantage. “In the second half, we had a good chance to equalise; they kept attacking and made the opponent tired. They did not give up,” he stated during a post-match press conference at the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium.

Kinoshi acknowledged that the match against Bangkok United was challenging and admitted that the Red Giants exacerbated their difficulties by committing several tactical errors. He noted, “If the opponent is not so good, the mistake they make is not a mistake. But tonight, they played against a good team that knew our weaknesses and punished us. We must identify these weaknesses and change for the better in the next match.”

Meanwhile, Bangkok United head coach Totchtawan Sripan was satisfied with his team’s performance, despite requiring some time to adjust to the pitch conditions. He remarked, “We knew it was going to be a tough match, and yes, it certainly turned out that way. There were a few mistakes because I myself was not very familiar with the condition of the pitch, but we tried to adapt as best as possible.”