Both teams were tied at 2-2 in regulation time, with Malaysia scoring two field goals through Faizal Saari (34th minute) and Shello Silverius (48th minute) and Spain replying through a Marc Miralles penalty stroke in the 40th minute and a Xavier Gispert field goal a minute later.

That saw the match go into a penalty shootout which ended 3-3, with Spain reserve goalkeeper Mario Garin, who came on for first-choice custodian Adrian Rafi, emerging the hero.

He denied attempts by two Malaysians – skipper Marhan Jalil and forward Shello – while Firhan Ashari, Faizal and Shahmie Irfan Suhaimi managed to beat him.

That forced the match into a sudden-death penalty shootout which Spain won through Miralles as Malaysia’s Firhan Ashari blew his effort.

Although the Speedy Tigers missed out on a place in the quarter-finals, head coach A Arul Selvaraj’s men deserve credit for dragging the fancied Spain, who are coached by Maximiliano Caldas, all the way to a sudden-death penalty shootout.

Malaysia began this World Cup campaign with a 4-0 loss to three-time champions the Netherlands before bouncing back to win their next two Group C matches – both 3-2 – against Chile and fancied New Zealand.

That enabled the Speedy Tigers to finish second behind the Dutch and make it to the crossover tie against Spain.

The Speedy Tigers, however, are far from done as they still have the ninth-16th classification matches to play, starting with a match against South Africa, who finished bottom of Group A, on Jan 26 at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela.