DOHA: Two goals in the opening 18 minutes sealed the deal for Jordan, extinguishing any hopes of a potential comeback by Harimau Malaya in Monday's Asian Cup Group E match.
Malaysia were hoping to earn points against Jordan, but the world No. 87 were a class above as they won 4-0 in Doha.
"It's a tough pill for us to swallow. It was disappointing because we conceded early, and once that happened, it was uphill," said midfielder Stuart Wilkin at the Al Janoub Stadium on Monday.
"We need to take a close look at what went wrong and plan for the next game against Bahrain on Saturday."
When asked if world No. 130 Malaysia had underestimated Jordan, Stuart said it was more a case of being caught off guard.
"It's difficult to pinpoint one thing. It's a big tournament, and we're here after a long time.
"I think Jordan's early goals caught us by surprise," said the 25-year-old midfielder.
"We were aware of their strength and quick transition play. We prepared for all possibilities, but nothing unfolded as expected during the match.
"Jordan had numerous chances early on, and it's definitely something we need to learn and carry into our next game."
Stuart, who partnered with Afiq Fazail in the midfield — a combination previously successful in the 1-0 win over Taiwan in a World Cup qualifier in November — added: "We had no issue with our partnership. It was just a tough day against Jordan."
Jordan scored through Mahmoud Al Mardi (12th and 32nd minutes) and Mousa Al Tamari (18th, 85th).
