KUALA LUMPUR: The natural elements tried to make it hard for Malaysia, torrential rain, slippery pitch and all that. And their opponents, Laos, were quite gritty too.
But world 132 Malaysia were able to beat world No. 187 Laos 3-1 in the international friendly at Bangkok's PAT Stadium yesterday.
National interim head coach Pau Marti Vicente was hoping to see some fluid play from his team, but that fizzled out when a heavy downpour just before the kickoff, made the pitch waterlogged.
"The first half was really tough. I felt the match should have been delayed because of the conditions. The rain made it hard for us to play our style of football, but we had to adapt," said Vicente.
The Malaysian footballers tried to find their footing in the opening 45 minutes, but it was difficult to carry out their training-ground plans.
The slippery field stifled their movement, forcing them to give up their usual flowing style.
However, Malaysia got an early breakthrough when Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar found the back of the net with a well-placed header in the sixth minute.
But Laos pulled level in the 34th minute. They capitalised on a defensive lapse in the 34th minute when Kydavone Souvvany pounced on a misplaced midfield pass and scored.
In the second half, Vicente made several changes, bringing on Stuart Wilkin, Daniel Ting and debutant Fergus Tierney. Within a minute of coming on, Stuart was fouled inside the box by Laos defender Sengdaovy Hanthavong. The Sabah midfielder converted the penalty to restore Malaysia's lead at 2-1.
The match was sealed in the 83rd minute when Argentine-Malaysian forward Sergio Garcia was brought down by Phoulaung Vinnavong in the box. Garcia calmly slotted home the spot kick.
"When you prepare in training, then face conditions like this, it becomes a real challenge," said Vicente.
However, once the rain subsided and the pitch began to dry up in the second half, Malaysia shifted into high gears. Vicente's men started dictating play, creating several clear chances.
The match marked a milestone for some of the national debutants, with Fazrul Amir Zaman, Fergus Tierney and Zhafri Yahya earning their first international caps.
The win has put Malaysia in good stead for the tougher friendly against India in Hyderabad next week.
"India will be a tough challenge, especially away from home. They're looking for a win, and we need to be ready," said Vicente.