After a 2-0 victory over Malaysia right at Kuala Lumpur stadium on August 16, the Vietnamese team has a great advantage before the second leg of the ASEAN Cup semi-final at My Dinh Stadium (Hanoi) taking place at 8:00 PM today (August 19). In Ho Chi Minh City, fans have moved to the city center early, bringing flags, banners and red shirts to fuel coach Kim Sang-sik and his team.
From about 6 pm, the atmosphere at Nguyen Hue pedestrian street began to become bustling. Many fans brought national flags, wore national team jerseys and prepared cheering items. The later it got, the more people flocked to this area, creating a bustling atmosphere before the match kicked off.
Previously, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee installed 5 large LED screens along Nguyen Hue pedestrian street, the section from Le Loi intersection to Ton Duc Thang intersection, to serve people and tourists to watch the match for free.
According to records, although the match took place in Hanoi, the cheering atmosphere in Ho Chi Minh City was no less enthusiastic. Many groups of fans took the opportunity to take photos, sing cheering songs for the team and prepare flags to join the football atmosphere. Some families also brought young children to the pedestrian street early to watch the match together.
Ms. Nguyen Le Quynh Tram (resident of Binh Phu ward, Ho Chi Minh City) said: "The team won 2-0 in the first leg, so the spirit of the fans is very excited. I and my friends came here early to cheer, hoping the team will continue to compete focusedly and win the right to enter the final". Nguyen Hue pedestrian street is expected to continue to be crowded when the match begins.
The 2-0 victory in the first leg semi-final helps the Vietnamese team create an advantage against Malaysia. In the second leg, fans in Ho Chi Minh City expect coach Kim Sang-sik's team to continue to maintain their form, protect their advantage and advance to the final to defend the ASEAN Cup championship.
