"We played a difficult match against Shandong Taishan," Park said. "However, the players showed what they are capable of, both offensively and defensively, as we prepared. We conceded twice today, and that’s an area we’ll need to improve.

"I feel good, but I can’t help but think how different things could have been if we had started the season this strong.”

Looking ahead, Pohang face a challenging schedule, including upcoming matches against three Japanese teams, beginning with Yokohama F. Marinos on Matchday Five. 

They are also still battling in the domestic season and face Ulsan HD in the Korea Cup Final on November 30.

"The next phase is going to be tough, especially with our tight league schedule. I hope our players stay injury-free. We’ll do our best. We want to give everything we have in the remaining fixtures."

Assistant head coach Tang Tian expressed disappointment following Shandong Taishan’s loss, emphasising lack of stamina late in the game being the decisive factor.

“We had just finished a league game and flew all the way to Pohang," said Tang. "We played well for 60 minutes, but after that, there was a noticeable drop in stamina, which ultimately contributed to us losing the game.

“The first half went as expected, and we switched to an attacking approach in the second half, thinking we could secure the win. Unfortunately, the result didn’t turn out as we had hoped.”