Vietnam, however, is something of a different story. The Southeast Asian region has never particularly been known for producing consistent talent, let alone in Vietnam. Having been founded in 1980, the V-league is in its relative infancy compared to the grand old Football League First Division (now the Premier League - EPL) of England, which was established a whole 92 years before its Vietnamese equivalent. The national team has never contested a World Cup, and currently sits 134^th in the official FIFA rankings. But don’t let history fool you – football is a pretty big deal in Vietnam too.

After Doi moi reforms paved the way for the formation of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) in 1989 and globalization beamed the football stars of Europe and South America to Vietnamese screens, the unstoppable snowball that it is football in Vietnam has not stopped rolling.

Every traffic jam will be dotted with countless helmets bearing the logo of any of the famed EPL ‘top four’. Chance upon a local bar at game time and you might be forgiven thinking you were in the shadow of Old Trafford rather than Hoan Kiem. Passion and knowledge of the global game in Vietnam is perhaps unrivalled.

But a recent failed bid to host the 2030 World Cup by a consortium of Southeast Asian nations hints at the lack of infrastructure and organizational confidence in the region. Even though Vietnam has successfully hosted a range of regional tournaments, the VFF was not able to give FIFA, the game’s governing body, sufficient assurances of the organization of the event before a specified deadline.

Nguyen Lan Trung, a spokesman for the VFF, said that although the country was extremely eager to be involved in the event, FIFA’s demanding conditions, as well as a severe lack of good enough stadia to hold the games were inevitable stumbling blocks.

My Dinh and Thong Nhat may grace the two big cities, but other provincial stadiums continue to fail to match the population’s enthusiasm for the game. Instead, the virtual stadiums of the EPL and other major leagues fill the televisions of bars and homes around the country; detracting from what could be a dazzling domestic league. Domestic football seems to be being left behind, admittedly for a variety of reasons, but the crying shame is that the enthusiasm and footballing ability of the country is there for all to see. With a huge potential talent pool lying in wait among a growing population, nurturing and encouraging the youth of the country to play is the key to success. This, however, is the easy part.

The hard part will be for the country to invest in local, domestic football in order to grow a footballing tradition of its own. Renovating stadiums, strengthening infrastructure and weeding out a few other undesirable aspects of the game are all undoubtedly important.

While the established old guard of football nations like England, Brazil and Spain may scoff at the quality of football in Asia, both on and off the pitch, they may be looking over their shoulder sooner than they think. South Korea and Japan’s co-hosting of the 2002 World Cup – and the former’s run to the semi-finals – was just an early, and perhaps surprising, glimpse of what the region can do. Who knows, with the right strategy and formation, and real investment in the domestic game, Vietnam could be the next country to show the world that Asian football is on the rise.

The 26^th SEA games scheduled for next month gives the youth of Vietnam a chance to shine – don’t be surprised if they take their turn.

Paul Wilson