What a comeback! After some very humiliating years Vietnam's national football team became the focus of national pride, when taking down the Thai rivals in a 3-2 victory for the first time ever in the regional AFF Suzuki Cup. Hanoians will take a while to forget the 28 December 2008.

The historic victory came after some very bad years for Vietnamese football, including the tough jail terms for a number of high profile players, who were caught taking bribes to loose a match against Burma (Myanmar).

Within minutes after the victory Ha Noi went amok with joy in the biggest street party since the end of the American War, as the Vietnamese call it. For once Hanoi's traffic police and the public security gave up handing out tickets and confiscating motor bikes. I got stuck in the middle of it all with a Nikon that managed some shots, before it shut down in protest against the drizzling winter rain.