South East Asia . Every second year the countries of the region do battle for the crown . Up until 2008 , the only winners of the cup had been Singapore and Thailand with three titles each -LRB- Indonesia has been the bridesmaid three times -RRB- . After pool play , the best of two finals series was played out between Thailand and Vietnam . Thanks to the close proximity , and some historical conflict , there is a strong rivalry between these two countries . The Thais played host to the Vietnamese in the first leg , where the visiting underdogs were winners , stunning the home crowd by winning the match 2-1 . The reverse leg was played in Hanoi , the capital city of Vietnam . After unexpectedly winning the first final , local interest was even higher than normal . We watched the game in the coastal city of Nha Trang . The locals flocked to their TV sets and the beer flowed freely . Each TV was like a magnet for thirsty football fans . Do you have a great football tale to tell ? Send us your story and you could be featured on
NHA TRANG , Vietnam -- Editor 's note : Football fans Daniel and Clinton Rowling were in Vietnam late December when the country won a major tournament for the first time . The event sparked wild celebrations in the South East Asian nation but joy soon turned to carnage as five people died and dozens were injured in the celebrations . They share their story . Celebration time : Five people were killed on Vietnamese roads as football joy got out of control . After spending a month in Vietnam we can safely say that the Vietnamese are passionate about three things : Ho Chi Minh , or Uncle Ho as the locals call him ; football ; and the tourist dollar . Everywhere you look you see football . The locals proudly sport imitation merchandise of their favorite European team anywhere and everywhere they can . Other than on your person , the next best place to show your allegiance is on your motorbike through stickers . Some local football teams even play in the strips of their favorite club . While we were in Vietnam the ASEAN cup was contested . It is the premier football contest in