Kim Pan-gon, head coach of Ulsan Hyundai, once again addressed the issue of decision-making.

Ulsan Hyundai lost 0-1 to Pohang Steelers in the East Coast Derby held on the 29th at 4:30 p.m. at Pohang Steel Yard in the Hana Bank K League 1 2025 Round 6.

Thus, Ulsan suffered a loss for the first time in five matches, lowering their heads. They remain in 3rd place with 10 points (3 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses). Ulsan aimed to close the gap with the top team Daejeon Hanacitzen, but after managing only one shot on target throughout the 90 minutes, they ended up on their knees.

On the other hand, Pohang jumped from 10th to 5th place with 8 points (2 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses), following consecutive wins after the match against Gwangju. Pohang successfully rebounded with a home victory. After failing to win in their first four matches after the opening, they dropped to the bottom, but they managed to defeat Gwangju 3-2 in the previous round and now Ulsan.

After the match, Coach Kim Pan-gon said, "I apologize to the fans who came all the way to Pohang in the cold weather. I believe the flow was good. However, we always concede goals due to small mistakes. That was the case today as well. Although we made many corrections, I will organize ourselves well to prepare for the next match against Daejeon."

Um Won-sang was substituted at the start of the second half. Coach Kim Pan-gon explained, "I think he was given many opportunities. But he has not yet shown the form needed. The long break due to injury and military service has affected him. We are trying to support him as much as possible, but I felt that tactical changes were necessary."

On this day, Ulsan had high possession against Pohang but could not find the key to attack. The two-top combination of Eric and Heo Yul also struggled to assert themselves. As a result, the only shot on target Ulsan recorded throughout the 90 minutes was a volley from Ko Seung-beom that went straight to the goalkeeper.

Coach Kim Pan-gon said, "The opponent's resistance was quite strong. Eric tends to look at the referee when he falls, expecting a whistle, and he needs to correct that. We managed the first half well and controlled the game until we conceded in the second half. The opponent brought in larger players to challenge physically, but we generally controlled that well. However, we were not precise in our finishing. It's unfortunate, but we will do our best to address it."

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