KUALA LUMPUR: Terengganu coach Tomislav Steinbruckner is hopeful for a better campaign in the Asean Club Championship after his side earned their first point following a 2-2 draw against Vietnam's Dong A Thanh Hoa in Wednesday's Group A match at Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium.
The Croatian praised his team for an impressive first-half performance, during which they established a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Akhyar Rashid in the 20th minute and Manuel Ott in the 40th minute.
However, a swift response from Dong A Thanh Hoa, including an early goal from Luiz Antonio in the second half (46th minute) and a costly mistake by Ubaidullah Shamsul (53rd minute), saw the Vietnamese side earn a point.
"We deserved more than just one point.
"We played nearly a perfect first half and controlled the game, but a few mistakes cost us.
"We've had issues with set pieces before, and while I'm not unsatisfied, I can't say I'm entirely happy either," said Steinbruckner.
In contrast, Dong A Thanh Hoa's coach Velizar Popov cited fatigue as a significant factor in his team's performance.
"We struggled at the start due to exhaustion from travelling and logistical challenges," said Popov.
Terengganu, who are fifth in Group A, will resume their campaign with matches against Myanmar's Shan United on Jan 8, followed by Indonesia's PSM Makassar on Jan 22 and Thailand's BG Pathum on Feb 5.