SINGAPORE -- Into the semifinals for only the second time since they were last champions in 2012, it is perhaps safe to say that Singapore have already achieved a pass mark at the ongoing ASEAN Championship.
The success, however, has naturally led to a rise in expectations.
While their opening match of the tournament against Cambodia drew 12,391 to the National Stadium back on Dec. 11, the figure almost doubled to 22,611 when they took on defending champions Thailand six days later.
Upon sealing their place in the last four with a 0-0 draw with Malaysia on Friday, Singapore would find out a day later that their next opposition would come in the form of Group B winners Vietnam.
With the National Stadium no longer available, the first leg of the clash will be played at Jalan Besar Stadium -- which has a significantly smaller capacity of just 6,000.
When tickets went on sale on Sunday, snaking queues were seen along the perimeter of the venue with some fans having taken their place in line the previous evening -- over 16 hours before the ticketing office opened its shutters.
Tickets that originally cost $49 are now being listed by online scalpers at up to four times the price at upwards of $200.
The demand for a chance to be present at Singapore's next outing highlights just how much their supporters have climbed onboard for the ride.
Rather than be caught up in the hype, Singapore coach Tsutomu Ogura insists nothing has changed from his pre-tournament stance of taking each game at a time -- but looking to win in every single one of them.
"I've always answered that we will take it game by game," he said, when asked how much further he hoped to lead the Lions.
"Now, we get to play a fifth and 6th game. If possible, we'll try to win our way through to a 7th and 8th game.
"Football isn't that simple. What we think we want to achieve compared to what actually happens can be very different."
Instead, Ogura -- a firm believer in a process-driven approach -- believes what he is seeing on a daily basis provides the necessary evidence that they are on the right path.
"One thing I will say is that, now, our players are training and playing with enjoyment," he added.
"I'm very happy because, since Dec 1., we have been together for about 25 days now and there's been more and more improvement.
"For me, the result will come later. And maybe some people will ask 'when is later'? But that's okay.
"When I talk about enjoyment, it's not that our players are taking it easy. They are having fun but are showing good concentration. This is very good for our football and the players' improvement."
Coming up against a Vietnam outfit that have scored 11 goals while conceding just twice in their four group-stage outings, Singapore will need to make the most of their home advantage on Thursday before heading to the daunting Việt Trì Stadium for the return encounter on Sunday.
"We're grateful for the support from all the fans since the start of the competition," said Singapore striker Abdul Rasaq Akeem.
"We heard of people queuing [for tickets] from the day before. We appreciate the support and, tomorrow, we're going to need all of them more than ever. We're just focused on doing our part on the pitch.
"It's going to be a very, very tough game against a strong side. We believe in ourselves. We believe in the coach's plan.
"We have to go out there and give our best and, hopefully, we can get a result and make everybody proud."