Thousands of Vietnamese officially go to China to cheer for the U23 team

There is only one day left until the final match between the U23 Vietnam team and the U23 Uzbekistan team. According to records at Noi Bai International Airport, from early morning, the entire hall was filled with shirts and red flags with yellow stars. Many staff here confirmed that it is rare to see such a vibrant, exciting and proud scene.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Nhi (66 years old) could not hide his joy: “I can’t believe it, I have been waiting for this day for decades. This is the first time Vietnam has advanced so far in a major tournament. Previously, our team was like a sleeping dragon, now someone has awakened it. I hope Vietnam will take the highest position and put its name on the world football map.”

It is known that Mr. Nhi is settled in Europe, but as soon as he heard the news that Vietnam had entered the final, he immediately booked a ticket home and prepared to go to China. “Since a few days ago, my mood has always been like being in the clouds. I have fully prepared my clothes, personal belongings, health and spirit, ready for an afternoon of burning with all my might with the Vietnamese team.”

Many U70 and U80 fans are also full of enthusiasm, placing great faith in the national team. Uncle Le Trong Tan (76 years old) and Uncle Vo Xuan Hoang (66 years old) expressed their excitement: "I really hope that the players will surpass themselves to prove that Southeast Asia is no longer a football backwater. If we win, it will be truly wonderful, but if luck does not smile on us, it is okay because the Vietnamese team is so excellent and has already won the championship in our hearts."

Today, the luggage of the tourist groups from Vietnam not only includes passports and luggage, but everyone also prepares red flags with yellow stars, stickers, drums, trumpets, etc. to cheer for the U23 team.

Since Vietnam won the semi-finals of the 2018 U23 Asian Cup, many travel companies have quickly opened tours to Changzhou (China) to serve the needs of people cheering on the team.

Speaking to Dan Tri reporter, a representative of Vietravel Hanoi company said that as of noon yesterday, all tours for sale were full but customers were still calling in droves. According to estimates, Vietravel will serve more than 1,000 customers to China on long-term tours, combining tourism - football cheering and charter tours (day trips).

This morning, Red Tour Company also took a group of 30 tourists to Changzhou. The fans came from all over the country, from Hanoi to Nghe An, Ha Tinh… Although they had to gather early, everyone was excited about the meaningful trip.

Ms. Le Thi Dung said that early in the morning, she and her family drove from Hai Phong to Hanoi to catch the flight. “As happy and excited as I was when Vietnam won, I was also nervous and worried when thinking about how to get to Changzhou. There were so many things that I definitely couldn’t take care of in time. But when my husband announced that he had booked a tour that included visas, football tickets, etc., I was so happy that I didn’t even need to know how many days or how much it would cost, I just wanted to cheer for the team and I signed up right away.”

Many people who did not have time to book tours from travel agencies also tried all means to go to China. Most of them chose to book tickets to Taiwan, go to Shanghai and then take a bus to Changzhou. Besides, many people accepted the more difficult way by traveling by road to Lang Son to Nanning and then taking a plane to the place where the historic match took place.