Street Storming

13 January 2025

“Football is not just a sport,” Vietnamese journalist Duc Truong told us. “It's an integral part of the cultural and spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. For a long time, football has been a symbol of uniting the nation with pride.” And that pride was made passionately evident after the Vietnam football team won the ASEAN Championships earlier this month.

The victory over Thailand in the final was marked by “Street Storming.” That’s a term which may not be familiar to non-Vietnamese. Truong explained: “This is a popular term in Vietnam. It describes a celebratory sense where people take to the streets after a major sporting event, especially when the national team secures a victory. People usually drive motorbikes carrying a red flag with the yellow star, blowing horns and chanting slogans to create a vivacious and vibrant atmosphere across the streets.” That was precisely what happened on the 5th of January all over Vietnam.

Vietnam led after the final's first leg, thanks to a brace from Rafaelson, a Brazil-born striker who has qualified for Vietnam after gaining citizenship and is now also known as Nguyen Xuan Son. The second leg, Truong said, was “a rollercoaster ride taking you from one surprise to another.” It came to life after Thailand took a 2-1 lead. Instead of hanging their heads, the Vietnamese rose to the occasion, overcoming the psychological pressure and intense atmosphere created by 50,000 fans at the Rajamangala Stadium. They scored twice to win 3-2.

In Truong’s view, this marks the start of a new chapter for Vietnamese football. Yes, it was their third title – but it was the first time they’d beaten Thailand in both legs of a final. In addition, their star turn, Xuan Son – the tournament’s top scorer with seven goals – offers glimpses of a promising future. It’s not just that he’s a player that, as Truong said, may well be too hot to handle for any defender in the region and who brought a fresh dynamic to the team both tactically and mentally; it’s also that his involvement in the national team could launch a new era of naturalised players.

In any case, Vietnamese towns and cities could experience increasing street-storming celebrations in the coming years.

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