The 2021 V.League 1 (known as the LS V.League 1 for sponsorship reasons) was the 38th season of the V.League 1, the highest division of Vietnamese football and the 21st as a professional league.
The season was paused for a third time on 6 May 2021 due to an outbreak of the delta variant of the coronavirus in the country.
Despite attempts to re-start the season by late November, after a meeting with all teams on August 21, the season was officially cancelled, with no champion determined, and no teams to be relegated; the slots for the 2022 AFC Champions League and 2022 AFC Cup was awarded to Hoang Anh Gia Lai and Viettel respectively in November 26. After the cancellation of the league, LS Group ceased sponsorship due to issues, and Sâm Ngọc Linh Kon Tum was chosen as the main sponsor for the next season.
Competition format
The league was scheduled to operate in two stages, with the top six teams qualify for the championship group and remaining teams qualify for the relegation group after a single-round robin regular season. The season was cancelled with one matchday left until the completion of the regular season.
Teams A total of 14 teams contested the league, including 13 teams from the 2020 season and Topenland Binh Dinh promoted from the 2020 V.League 2 season.
Stadiums and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity Previousseason rankTopenland Binh DinhBinh DinhQuy Nhon VL2 (1st)Becamex Binh DuongBinh Duong Go DauVL1 (6th)SHB DanangDanangHoa XuanVL1 (9th)Hoang Anh Gia LaiGia LaiPleikuVL1 (7th)Haiphong FCHaiphongLach TrayVL1 (12th)Hanoi FCHanoiHang DayVL1 (2nd)ViettelVL1 (1st)Hong Linh Ha TinhHa TinhHa TinhVL1 (8th)Ho Chi Minh City FCHo Chi Minh CityThong NhatVL1 (5th)Saigon FCVL1 (3rd)Nam Dinh FCNam DinhThien TruongVL1 (13th)Song Lam Nghe AnNghe AnVinhVL1 (10th)Than Quang NinhQuang NinhCam PhaVL1 (4th)Dong A Thanh HoaThanh HoaThanh HoaVL1 (11th)
Personnel and kits
Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturerTopenLand Binh Dinh Nguyễn Đức Thắng Bùi Văn Hiếu KamitoBecamex Binh Duong Nguyễn Thanh Sơn Pape Omar Faye KamitoSHB Da Nang Phan Thanh Hùng Đặng Anh Tuấn KamitoHoang Anh Gia Lai Kiatisuk Senamuang Lương Xuân Trường MizunoHaiphong FC Phạm Anh Tuấn Andre Fagan JogarbolaHanoi FC Park Choong-kyun Nguyễn Văn Quyết JogarbolaViettel Trương Việt Hoàng Bùi Tiến Dũng FBTHong Linh Ha Tinh Nguyễn Thành Công Trần Phi Sơn KelmeHo Chi Minh City FC Alexandré Pölking Sầm Ngọc Đức KelmeSaigon FC Phùng Thanh Phương Daisuke MatsuiMade by clubNam Dinh FC Nguyễn Văn Sỹ Lâm Anh Quang KelmeSong Lam Nghe An Nguyễn Huy Hoàng (caretaker) Hoàng Văn Khánh MitreThan Quang Ninh Hoàng Thọ Phạm Nguyên Sa JomaDong A Thanh Hoa Ljupko Petrović Hoàng Đình Tùng Jogarbola
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Hoang Anh Gia Lai Duong Minh Ninh Nguyen Van Dan Mutual consent November 2020 Pre-season Kiatisuk Senamuang November 2020 Ho Chi Minh City FC Jung Hae-seong Resigned 12 November 2020 Alexandré Pölking 2 December 2020 Dong A Thanh Hoa Mai Xuân Hợp Mutual consent 26 November 2020 Ljupko Petrović 26 November 2020 Nam Dinh FC Pham Hong Phu Mutual consent 14 December 2020 Nguyen Van Sy 14 December 2020 Than Quang Ninh Phan Thanh Hùng Resigned 16 December 2020 Hoang Tho 16 December 2020 Becamex Binh Duong Nguyen Thanh Son Mutual consent 19 December 2020 Phan Thanh Hùng 23 December 2020 Saigon FC Vu Tien Thanh Mutual consent 24 February 2021 4th Masahiro Shimoda 25 February 2021 Saigon FC Masahiro Shimoda Sacked 30 March 2021 11th Phung Thanh Phuong 30 March 2021 Hanoi FC Chu Dinh Nghiem Resigned 3 April 2021 7th Hoang Van Phuc (caretaker) 3 April 2021 Hong Linh Ha Tinh Pham Minh Duc Resigned 12 April 2021 14th Nguyen Thanh Cong 14 April 2021 Becamex Binh Duong Phan Thanh Hung Resigned 14 April 2021 6th Nguyen Thanh Son (caretaker) 14 April 2021 Hanoi FC Hoang Van Phuc (caretaker) End of caretaker spell 20 April 2021 8th Park Choong-kyun 20 April 2021 Song Lam Nghe An Ngo Quang Truong Resigned 30 April 2021 14th Nguyen Huy Hoang (caretaker) 30 April 2021 SHB Danang Le Huynh Duc Resigned 3 May 2021 9th Phan Thanh Hung 3 May 2021
Foreign players Players name in bold indicates the player was registered after the start of the season. ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4(AFC Player)Player 5(Naturalized Vietnamese player)Former Player Topenland Binh Dinh Hêndrio Rimario Gordon Ahn Byung-keon → Tony Le Becamex Binh Duong Ali Rabo Pape Omar Faye Victor Mansaray SHB Danang Janclesio Rafaelson Hedipo Hedipo Papa Ibou Kébé Claudecir Hoang Anh Gia Lai Washington Brandão Kim Dong-su Damir Memović → Suleiman Abdullahi → Steven Dang Haiphong FC Andre Fagan Jermie Lynch Joseph Mpande → Adriano Schmidt→ Andrey Nguyen → Martin Lo Diego Silva Hanoi FC Bruno Cantanhede Geovane Magno Moses Oloya Viettel Bruno Matos Caíque Pedro Paulo Jahongir Abdumuminov Luizão Hong Linh Ha Tinh Chevaughn Walsh Ismahil Akinade Kelly Kester Claudecir Ho Chi Minh City FC Brendon Lucas Patrick Leonardo João Paulo → Lee Nguyen Papé Diakité Dário Junior Junior Barros Saigon FC Thiago Melo Papa Ibou Kébé Papé Diakité Daisuke Matsui → Gastón Merlo Hiroyuki Takasaki Woo Sang-ho Nam Dinh FC Rodrigo Dias Wesley dos Santos Oussou Konan Gramoz Kurtaj Song Lam Nghe An Felipe Martins Peter Samuel Onyekachi Igor Jelić Bruno Henrique Than Quang Ninh Diogo Pereira Eydison Gustavo → Geoffrey Kizito Patrick Leonardo Dong A Thanh Hoa Zé Paulo Louis Ewonde Gramoz Kurtaj → Samson Kayode Chevaughn Walsh Naturalized players whose parents or grandparents were born in Vietnam, thus are regarded as local players.
First phase Table
Positions by round This table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches.
Results
Season progress
Season statistics
Scoring Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Nguyễn Văn ToànHoang Anh Gia Lai7 Oussou KonanNam Dinh Rodrigo Dias4 EydisonThan Quang Ninh6 GeovaneHanoi Nguyễn Công PhượngHoang Anh Gia Lai Nguyễn Tiến LinhBecamex Binh Duong RafaelsonSHB Da Nang 9 Lee NguyenHo Chi Minh City 5 Phan Văn ĐứcSong Lam Nghe An Source: Soccerway
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Rafaelson SHB Da Nang Dong A Thanh Hoa 3–1 (A) Nguyễn Tiến Linh Becamex Binh Duong Nam Dinh 4–3 (H)
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Huỳnh Tuấn LinhHoang Anh Gia Lai62 Nguyễn Hoài AnhThan Quang Ninh5 Nguyễn Thanh DiệpDong A Thanh Hoa Trần Nguyên MạnhViettel5 Đinh Xuân ViệtNam Dinh 4 Phạm Văn PhongSaigon Nguyễn Tuấn MạnhSHB Danang Trần Đình Minh Hòang Topenland Binh Dinh Trần Đức CườngBecamex Binh Duong104 players3
Awards Monthly awards MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthGoal of the MonthManagerClubPlayerClubPlayerClubJanuary/March Kiatisuk Senamuang Hoang Anh Gia Lai Nguyễn Văn Tòan Hoang Anh Gia Lai Phan Văn Đức Song Lam Nghe AnApril Lương Xuân Trường Hoang Anh Gia Lai
References