Malaysia's heritage players feel loved at Bukit Jalil
KUALA LUMPUR: The five men from the Western Hemisphere were overwhelmed by the love from Malaysian fans on Tuesday.
The heritage players, making their Malaysia debut, won the hearts of more than 61,000 appreciative fans at the National Stadium, as they helped Malaysia crush Vietnam 4-0 in an Asian Cup qualifier.
The Argentine-born winger, Imanol Machuca, came on in the 72nd minute as a reserve, and was welcomed by a thunderous roar from the crowd.
"Unforgettable night, thank you for all the love, this is just the beginning," said Machuca in his social media post.
The Spain-born defender Jon Irazabal, who played the full 90 minutes, said: "An honour to represent Malaysia in my first game. Thank you all for the incredible support, everything felt easier with you behind us. I'm grateful for the opportunity and ready for the next battle."
The Argentina-born striker Rodrigo Holgado, who scored Malaysia's second goal in the 59th minute, wrote: "A dream night. I'm very happy to represent this beautiful country and fulfil this dream in my football career. I want to thank everyone who has been part of this, my teammates for the warm welcome, the coaching staff, and all the people of this wonderful country who made me feel so happy from the first minute."
The Brazil-born Joao Figueiredo, who opened the scoring in the 49th minute, and the Argentine-born centreback Facundo Garces were also moved by the fans' response.
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