Tonight, Vietnam will match up again against Malaysia in the 2014 Suzuki Cup. The city’s football-crazed fans will be out in full force as a win or a draw would propel the national team into a final with Thailand.
To prepare for fan-flooded streets, every traffic cop in the city will be on patrol to “ensure order and security” and crackdown on illegal street races which have been known to take place during similar events, according to Tuoi Tre.
“Besides football maniacs, criminals also took advantage of the festive atmosphere to pickpocket, rob people of motorcycles, and even organize illegal motorcycle racing,” wrote the paper.
Starting at 6pm (the match begins at 7pm), reconnaissance forces will take to the streets while criminal police will go undercover to “quickly prevent and suppress any disruptive behavior.”
The Vietnamese football team beat Malaysia 2-1 last Sunday in a bloody semifinal match (literally) in Kuala Lumpur after which the country’s streets and alleys exploded in celebration. A successful result tonight will likely result in an even more boisterous response.
So, stay safe out there tonight, Saigoneers.
Oh, and GO VIETNAM!
[Tuoi Tre // Photo via The World Effect]
