Supporters

For some of you guys, you deserved credit...

Vietnam are the obvious outsiders on the eight-strong list. Fellow hosts Indonesia and Thailand can be just as proud of their achievements despite falling at the last.

The trio flew the flag for south-east Asia. The region was generally held to be in decline in football terms but from now, no Asian team will take future meetings for granted. The fast-pace and crisp passing caused problems for more experienced hands such as UAE, Qatar, Australia, Korea, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The ASEAN players may struggle to match the aerial superiority of other teams but what they lack in size, they more than make up for in heart.

Indonesia’s incredible fans will be missed as they created an atmosphere that even seasoned international visitors – players and media alike - had rarely experienced before. If such passion and noise was present at every Asian Cup game, the tournament would soon be the envy of all continental competitions.

Taken from Goal.com.