Can Malaysia deny Vietnam this scene?

This is what soccer is to Vietnam! Was our Malaysian streets like this when Malaysia qualified for the final defeating Laos 3-1 in the semifinals? I know what it is like in Vietnam because I covered the 2003 Vietnam Sea Games. (Read what I had written about them then). It is going to be an uphill task for K.Rajagobal's boys this evening, but it is not an impossible task. A win by Malaysia this evening, is going to turn Vietnamese euphoria and mania into chaos in Vietnam tonight. And will the Malaysian fans then be celebrating in place of the Vietnamese? Very unlikely, because like it or not, the Vietnamese have more passion for the local soccer than Malaysians? It is because, Malaysian have already enjoyed their glorious moments, whereas, the Vietnamese are an emerging power starved of success. Besides, Malaysians would rather congregate all over the city to watch and celebrate English teams wins and successes, not to mentioned to be dressed and coloured in their favourite English team colours! Vietnam having won the women's soccer gold medal after defeating Thailand, they will be going for a double tonight. The odds are indeed stacked against Malaysia, but then again if the Malaysian players can be more hungry than the Vietnamese players, then things can be different. Lets us all watch it live on RTM 2 and TV 3 at 5.45pm this evening! A night of celebration (Vietnam 4 – Singapore 1)!

12:48' 15/12/2009 (GMT+7)

VietNamNet Bridge – The streets of downtown Hanoi and HCM City were a vibrant red, the colour of the national football squad’s jerseys, late on Tuesday, December 14. Thousands of football fans played drums and shouted “Victory Vietnam” after Vietnam trounced Singapore 4-1 to reach the finals of the Southeast Asian Games men’s football tournament. In Hanoi, the streets around the Hoan Kiem Lake in particular, and other thoroughfares were a prime destination of football fans. By 9pm, half an hour after the game ended, Hang Bai, Ba Trieu, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Dai Co Viet, Kim Ma and other thoroughfares were jammed by thousands of fans on motorbikes and in cars, waving Vietnam’s gold star and red flag and singing Like We Have Uncle Ho with Us in the Great Day of Victory. Many waved cardboard replicas of the SEA Games cup to parade through streets. Many foreigners seemed amazed by the Vietnamese people’s passion for football. Taking in the moment with a small camera at King Ly Thai To’s statue, a European visitor said the atmosphere in Hanoi could compare to the climax of the European Football Champs or the World Cup. “I hope your team wins the championship,” ‘Robert’ sent his wish to the national U23 team. Hundreds of people were ready to sell flags and banners for fans. A small flag cost 10,000 dong and a big one 50,000. At 10pm, fans still flocked to the city’s centre. Some young men burnt flares on Dinh Tien Hoang Street. A man who stripped to his waist to cheer tripped over a stone-made chair on the bank of the Hoan Kiem Lake and injured himself. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. On Hue Street, some shops placed loudspeakers on the pavement and broadcast football songs and other triumphant melodies to cheer up fans. The street was jammed until 11 pm. Hanoi’s mobile police were on hand at all intersections to prevent extreme activities. In HCM City, the areas around the Cathedral, Ben Thanh Market, Nguyen Hue and Le Loi Boulevards were also jammed by football fans. Many families went to the street to cheer for the victory of the national team. At 10 pm, Saigon’s streets were still crowded. Vietnam meets Malaysia in the finals on December 17. VietNamNet and VNExpress recorded the parades in Hanoi and HCM City: The staffs of a restaurant went on the street with alluminum trays and pot lids. Father and kids. A Saigon's girl. Vietnamese fans in Laos: