The 2018 V.League 1 season (for sponsorship reasons also known as Nuti Café V.League 1) was the 35th season of the V.League 1, the highest division of Vietnamese football and the 18th as a professional league. The season started on 10 March 2018 and ran until 8 October 2018. It was expected to be known as the Toyota V.League 1, however, in December 2017 Toyota ended their sponsorship deal with the Vietnam Football Federation one year early.
Changes from last season Team changes The following teams have changed division since the 2017 season.
To V.League 1 Promoted from V.League 2 Nam Dinh FC
From V.League 1 Relegated to V.League 2 Long An FC
Rule changes
Due to the increased number of teams in 2018 V.League 2 (10), there will be 1.5 relegation places in the 2018 V.League 1 season - the team finishing 14th will be relegated automatically, whilst the team finishing 13th will play a two-legged play-off against the team that finishes second in the 2018 V.League 2.
The league will continue to operate the "2+1" foreigner rule, meaning each squad shall be allowed 2 non-Vietnamese players and 1 naturalised Vietnamese. FLC Thanh Hoa and Song Lam Nghe An shall be allowed 3 non-Vietnamese players, 1 naturalised Vietnamese and 1 player from Asia because they will participate in AFC Cup.
Teams
Team Location Stadium Capacity Previousseason rankBecamex Binh DuongBinh Duong Go DauVL1 (11th)XSKT CanthoCanthoCanthoVL1 (13th)SHB DanangDanangHoa XuanVL1 (9th)Hoang Anh Gia LaiGia LaiPleikuVL1 (10th)Haiphong FCHaiphongLach TrayVL1 (7th)Hanoi FCHanoiHang DayVL1 (3rd)Ho Chi Minh City FCHo Chi Minh CityThong NhatVL1 (12th)Saigon FCVL1 (5th)Sanna Khanh Hoa BVNKhanh Hoa19 AugustVL1 (6th)Nam Dinh FCNam DinhThien Truong VL2 (1st)Song Lam Nghe AnNghe AnVinhVL1 (8th)Quang Nam FCQuang NamTam KyVL1 (1st)Than Quang NinhQuang NinhCam PhaVL1 (4th)FLC Thanh HoaThanh HoaThanh HoaVL1 (2nd)
Personnel and kits
Team Head coach Captain Kit manufacturerBecamex Binh Duong Trần Minh Chiến Nguyễn Anh Đức KappaXSKT Cantho Vũ Quang Bảo Tô Vĩnh Lợi KeepDriSHB Danang Nguyễn Minh Phương Do MerloMade by clubHoang Anh Gia Lai Dương Minh Ninh Lương Xuân Trường Mizuno Haiphong FC Trương Việt Hoàng Lê Văn Phú MitreHanoi FC Chu Đình Nghiêm Nguyễn Văn Quyết KappaHo Chi Minh City FC Toshiya Miura Trương Đình Luật Mizuno Saigon FC Nguyễn Thành Công Nguyễn Ngọc Duy KamiSanna Khanh Hoa BVN Võ Đình Tân Chaher ZarourMade by clubNam Dinh FC Nguyễn Văn Sỹ Nguyễn Hữu Định VNA SportSong Lam Nghe An Nguyễn Đức Thắng Trần Nguyên Mạnh MitreQuang Nam FC Hoàng Văn Phúc Đinh Thanh Trung JogarbolaThan Quang Ninh Phan Thanh Hùng Huỳnh Tuấn Linh JomaFLC Thanh Hoa Nguyễn Đức Thắng Pape Omar Faye Mitre
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPositionIncoming managerDate of appointment FLC Thanh Hoa Ljupko PetrovićResigned28 November 2017Pre-season Marian Mihail15 December 2017 SHB Danang Le Huynh Duc25 November 2017 Nguyen Minh Phuong28 December 2017 XSKT Cantho Vu Quang Bao Sacked25 November 2017 Đinh Hồng Vinh25 December 2017 Saigon FC Nguyen Duc Thang Out of contract31 January 2018 Phan Van Tai Em3 April 2018 FLC Thanh Hoa Marian Mihail Mutual consent 7 April 2018 7th Hoang Thanh Tung7 April 2018 FLC Thanh Hoa Hoang Thanh Tung Demote3 May 2018 7th Nguyen Duc Thang3 May 2018 Saigon FC Phan Van Tai Em Resigned28 June 2018 16th Nguyen Thanh Cong29 June 2018 XSKT Cantho Dinh Hong Vinh ?26 July 2018 20th Vu Quang Bao31 July 2018
Foreign players ClubPlayer 1Player 2AFC PlayerNaturalised Vietnamese PlayerFormer Players Becamex Binh Duong Chinedu Udoka Ali Rabo → Eyerakpo Maxwell Romario Kortzorg Alexandros TanidisXSKT Cantho Wander Luiz Patiyo Tambwe → Dio Preye Rod DyachenkoSHB Danang Kouassi Yao Hermann Louis Epassi → Gastón Merlo Diogo PereiraHoang Anh Gia Lai Josip Zeba Osmar Kim Jin-seo Rimario GordonHaiphong FC Diego Fagan Errol Stevens → Issifu AnsahHanoi FC Moses Oloya Oseni Ganiyu → Samson Kayode Ho Chi Minh City FC Matías Jadue Marclei → Kesley Alves Gustavo INJ Paulo Tavares Gonzalo MarronkleSaigon FC Dominique Da Sylva Marvin Ogunjimi → Geoffrey Kizito Dugary Ndabashinze Lê Văn Tân Sanna Khanh Hoa BVN Chaher Zarour Youssouf Touré Nam Dinh FC Romario Kortzorg Diogo Pereira→ Theophilus Esele Alex Rafael Neil Benjamin Henry ShackielSong Lam Nghe An Michael Olaha Jermie Lynch OsmarQuang Nam FC Douglas Tardin Warley Oliveira → Thiago Papel Wander Luiz Claudecir INJ Nguyễn Trung Đại DươngThan Quang Ninh Eydison Joel Vinicius Geoffrey Kizito FLC Thanh Hoa Pape Omar Faye Rimario Gordon → Danny van Bakel Ryutaro Karube Edward Ofere Foreign players who left their clubs after first leg or be replaced because of injuries. Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
Standings League table
Positions by round This table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve the chronological evolution, any postponed matches are not included to the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. For example, if a match is scheduled for matchday 13, but then postponed and played between days 16 and 17, it will be added to the standings for day 16.
Results
Play-off match The team finishing 13th faced the runner-up of 2018 V.League 2.
Nam Dinh FC won the match and would remain in the 2019 V.League 1.
Attendances
By club
By round + 2018 V.League 1 Attendance RoundTotalGames Avg. Per Game Round 178,000 7 11,143 Round 271,000 7 10,143 Round 374,000 7 10,571 Round 458,000 7 8,286 Round 572,000 7 10,286 Round 651,500 7 7,357 Round 742,000 7 6,000 Round 850,000 7 7,143 Round 946,000 7 6,571 Round 1042,500 7 6,071 Round 1142,000 7 6,000 Round 1238,200 7 5,457 Round 1354,000 7 7,714 Round 1433,000 7 4,714 Round 1528,000 7 4,000 Round 1638,000 7 5,429 Round 1729,100 7 4,157 Round 1834,500 7 4,929 Round 1927,000 7 3,857 Round 2024,000 7 3,429 Round 2149,500 7 7,071 Round 2234,500 7 4,929 Round 2324,000 7 3,429 Round 2431,000 7 4,429 Round 2532,500 7 4,643 Round 2635,500 7 5,071 Total 1,139,800 182 6,263
Highest attendances Rank Home team Score Away team Attendance Date Stadium1 Nam Dinh FC0–0XSKT Cantho22,000Thien Truong Stadium2 Haiphong FC1–1Hoang Anh Gia Lai21,000Lach Tray Stadium3 Hanoi FC5–0Hoang Anh Gia Lai20,000Hang Day Stadium4 Becamex Binh Duong3–3FLC Thanh Hoa18,000Go Dau Stadium5 Nam Dinh FC0–1Haiphong FC17,000Thien Truong Stadium0–2Hoang Anh Gia Lai
Season statistics
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Oseni GaniyuHanoi FC162 Hoang Vu SamsonHanoi FC13 EydisonThan Quang Ninh4 Nguyen Tien LinhBecamex Binh Duong12 Wander LuizXSKT Cantho Youssouf TouréSanna Khanh Hoa BVN7 Nguyen Cong PhuongHoang Anh Gia Lai118 Dominique Da SylvaSaigon FC10 Pape Omar FayeFLC Thanh Hoa10 Nguyen Quang HaiHanoi FC9 Phan Van DucSong Lam Nghe An Ha Duc ChinhSHB Danang Matías JadueHo Chi Minh City FC
Top assists
RankPlayerClubAssists1 Nghiem Xuan TuThan Quang Ninh152 Nguyen Van QuyetHanoi FC93 Do Hung DungHanoi FC8 Tran Phi SonHo Chi Minh City FC5 Ho Khac NgocSong Lam Nghe An7 To Van VuBecamex Binh Duong Le Tan TaiBecamex Binh Duong Tran Van KienHanoi FC9 Nguyen Quang HaiHanoi FC6 Luong Xuan TruongHoang Anh Gia Lai
Own goals PlayerClubAgainstRound Pham Van Thuan Nam Dinh FCHo Chi Minh City FC5 Ho Tan Tai Becamex Binh DuongFLC Thanh Hoa Thiago Papel Quang Nam FCBecamex Binh Duong7 Trinh Van Loi Haiphong FCThan Quang Ninh10 Michael OlahaSong Lam Nghe AnSHB Danang11 Nguyen Thanh Binh SHB DanangSong Lam Nghe An22
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Round Oseni GaniyuHanoi FCSHB Danang4–0(A)5 Ha Minh TuanQuang Nam FCNam Dinh FC5–2(H)9 Nguyen Tien Linh 4Becamex Binh DuongSaigon FC5–1(H)10 Eydison Than Quang NinhHoang Anh Gia Lai3–0(H)12 Dominique Da Sylva 4 Saigon FCHanoi FC5–2(H)14 Hoang Vu Samson 4 Hanoi FCHo Chi Minh City FC6–3(H)18 Dinh Thanh Trung Quang Nam FCBecamex Binh Duong4–4(H) Nguyen Tien LinhBecamex Binh DuongQuang Nam FC4–4(A) Matías JadueHo Chi Minh City FCSHB Danang4–2(H)19 Rimario Gordon FLC Thanh HoaHoang Anh Gia Lai3–0(A)21 Nguyen Hai AnhHo Chi Minh City FCSaigon FC5–0(H)23 Note: 4: scored 4 goals; (H) – Home; (A) – Away
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Nguyen Van CongHanoi FC82 Dang Van LamHaiphong FC73 Nguyen Tuan ManhSanna Khanh Hoa BVN6 Huynh Tuan LinhThan Quang Ninh5 Pham Van CuongQuang Nam FC5
Awards
Monthly awards MonthClub of the MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthGoal of the MonthReferencesClubManagerClubPlayerClubPlayerClubMarchThan Quang Ninh Phan Thanh HungThan Quang Ninh EydisonThan Quang Ninh Luong Xuan TruongHoang Anh Gia LaiAprilHanoi FC Chu Dinh NghiemHanoi FC Oseni GaniyuHanoi FC Ha Duc ChinhSHB DanangMayHanoi Tran Minh ChienBecamex Binh Duong Nguyen Tien LinhBecamex Binh Duong Nguyen Cong PhuongHoang Anh Gia LaiJuneHanoi Nguyen Duc ThangFLC Thanh Hoa Nguyen Quang HaiHanoi FC Tran Minh PhuongHoang Anh Gia Lai
Annual awards Award Winner Club V.League 1 Manager of the Season Chu Dinh Nghiem Hanoi FC V.League 1 Player of the Season Nguyen Van Quyet Hanoi FC V.League 1 Top Goalscorer Ganiyu Oseni Hanoi FC V.League 1 Young Player of the Year Nguyen Quang Hai Hanoi FC V.League 1 Referee of the Year Ngo Duy Lan V.League 1 Assistant Referee of the Year Phạm Manh Long
Team of the Year VPF Team of the Year Goalkeeper Dang Van Lam (Haiphong FC) Defence Vu Van Thanh (Hoang Anh Gia Lai) Do Duy Manh (Hanoi FC) Chaher Zarour (Sanna Khanh Hoa BVN) Doan Van Hau (Hanoi FC) Midfield Nguyen Quang Hai (Hanoi FC) Ngo Hoang Thinh (FLC Thanh Hoa) Moses Oloya (Hanoi FC) Nghiem Xuan Tu (Than Quang Ninh) Attack Nguyen Cong Phuong (Hoang Anh Gia Lai) Nguyen Van Quyet (Hanoi FC)
References