News - September 1, 2018 | 11:07 pm PT

Vietnamese football team returns home to heartwarming reception

Vietnamese fans gave coach Park Hang-seo and the men's football team a rousing welcome despite their failure to win an Asiad bronze.

My Dinh Stadium is becoming more crowded with throngs of supporters.

Police carrying trained dogs head into My Dinh. Security is tightened at the stadium.

Thousands of fans gather at My Dinh Stadium to meet with the football team. 

Le Hung Dung (L), president of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), meets with coach Park-Hang-seo.

Volunteers give tickets and banners to football fans at My Dinh National Stadium where the team will attend a homecoming celebration this evening.

Girl fans hold images of their football idols and stand along both sides of the street near the airport.

South Korean coach Park Hang-seo.

Vietnamese men's football team arrives in Noi Bai Airport.

The aircraft carrying Vietnamese men's football team lands at Noi Bai International Airport.

Hanoi streets was filled with red national flags and cheering faces. 

Throngs of football fans carrying national flags flock to Noi Bai Airport to welcome the Vietnamese men's football team.
Many fans wave the national flag in the middle street.
People stand along both sides of Vo Nguyen Giap Street leading to the airrport. 
And more people started rushing to the streets. 

Although the team failed to win the bronze medal at the Asian Games after a heart-breaking defeat to UAE in a penalty shootout on Saturday, they are returning home to a warm reception.

Coach Park Hang-seo has said that Vietnam’s journey to the competition's top 4 is a strong foundation for the team to advance further at the continental level.

Hailed as national heroes, South Korean coach Park Hang-seo's team made Vietnamese history at Asian Games, the world's second biggest multiple sports event (after the Olympics), with thrilling victories over regional powerhouses like Syria and Bahrain.

It was the first time ever that the Vietnamese national football team has made it to the semifinals of the tournament.

The South Korean coach is set to visit the VnExpress office in Hanoi at 9.am on Monday to answer readers' questions about the Asiad 2018 campaign.