PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Under-23 football team’s costly 2-0 loss to Vietnam in the Asian Cup felt like a kick in the gut for coach Juan Torres Garrido and his young Tigers.

The Spaniard could not help ruing over a dubious free-kick that was awarded to the Vietnamese from which Khuat Van Khang went to fire them into the lead in the 39th minute at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday.