KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor FC’s new head coach Katsuhito Kinoshi expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance despite a 1-2 defeat to Thai side Muangthong United in the AFC Champions League 2 (ACL2) 2024/25 Group H match at the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium (MBPJ), Kelana Jaya, yesterday.
However, the Japanese coach urged the Red Giants to refine their aggressive attacking approach with sharper finishing in front of the opponent’s goal in future matches.
“We should have scored the second goal in the first half, but at least we have shown our fans that our style of play is relentless and that we work hard to earn points. In the next match, we must deliver three points.
“The first half was good. We planned this aggressive style of play and managed to score. I told the players to continue it in the second half, but unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. We need more time to practice our set-piece plays,” he said at the post-match press conference.
In the match, Selangor dominated at their home turf well, opening the scoring as early as the fifth minute through Quentin Cheng.
However, two second-half comeback goals by Muangthong, in the 53rd and 76th minutes respectively, shattered the Red Giants’ hopes of securing three vital points to strengthen their position for the Round of 16.
Selangor were also unlucky, with three second-half attempts hitting the Muangthong crossbar.
The defeat pushed Selangor to third place in Group H with seven points after five matches.
South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors lead the group with 12 points, followed by Muangthong United in second with eight points, while the Philippines’ Dynamic Herb Cebu sit bottom with one point.
Selangor must win against Dynamic Herb Cebu in their final group match on Dec 5 and rely on favourable results from other teams to secure a knockout stage slot. – BERNAMA
