HANOI -- The Vietnam national team's first-ever appearance in the finals of the Asian Football Confederation U23 championship, triggered mass celebrations across the country, despite a close defeat in the final game on Saturday.
Hundreds of motorbikes and more than a thousand people thronged around the Hanoi Opera House at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, after the semifinal victory over Qatar, waving Vietnamese flags and making noise with drums, horns and shouts. An even larger crowd gathered near Hoan Kiem Lake, completely clogging the streets.
