The 2020 V-League was the first season to adopt a format of dividing teams into two groups: a championship group (8 teams) and a relegation group (6 teams) in the second phase, instead of the usual two-round format. This was a "last resort" choice by the organizers due to the pandemic shortening the tournament's duration. However, there was a silver lining. The reduced number of matches meant fewer opportunities to correct mistakes, resulting in fiercer competition for positions. Viettel and Hanoi FC competed for the championship until the final round, similarly, the unique relegation battle between Nam Dinh and Quang Nam FC saw the winner and loser decided in the final 20 minutes of the season.
Goalkeeper Tran Minh Toan played a major role in helping Binh Duong Club draw with Hanoi.
In the 2023 season, this format returned due to an unavoidable reason: shortening the transitional season to prepare for the change to the new V-League schedule. After 9 rounds, the championship and relegation races are still unclear. Teams are mainly separated by 1-2 points. Just one win can move a team up several places. No team, not even the leader Thanh Hoa , has yet demonstrated a clear advantage over the rest.
The intensity and balance of the V-League were most evident in Round 9. Binh Duong FC held reigning champions Hanoi FC to a draw despite languishing at the bottom of the table. Da Nang FC also secured a point away at Hanoi FC, then thrashed HAGL to earn another valuable point. Ho Chi Minh City FC, despite being at the bottom of the table, displayed a spirited performance, scoring 9 goals in their last 3 matches against top teams.
In the last match of round 9 yesterday, May 28th, Thanh Hoa FC won 3-2 against Viettel FC. Coach Velizar Popov's team regained their winning form, thus extending their lead over second-placed Hanoi Police FC to 4 points. Coach Popov had previously shared that short breaks make it difficult for many teams to regain their form, however, Thanh Hoa FC's performance is delighting fans. Their free-flowing, fast-paced attacking style, combined with a very tight defense, makes the team from Thanh Hoa a strong contender for the championship this season.
The tension and intensity are also reflected in the unusually high number of draws this season, with 29 matches ending in a draw out of 63 games. In the last 14 matches, the V-League has seen 8 draws. The number of wins by more than one goal has also decreased significantly, mainly due to the tight, cautious playing style and the similar strength of the teams. Another relatively unique statistic: currently, only two teams in the V-League have a win rate higher than 50%, namely Thanh Hoa FC (ranked first) and Hanoi Police FC (ranked second). Hai Phong FC has only won 2 out of 9 matches since the beginning of the season, but still ranks 8th – a position within the championship race. The close point totals between the teams signal an unpredictable shift in the standings in the next 4 rounds.
In the unpredictable V-League, several national team and U22 players made their mark in Round 9. Tien Linh ended his goal drought with a goal against Hanoi FC. In his second appearance in the V-League this season, Van Tung also scored the opening goal. Tien Linh may still be the top scorer under coach Philippe Troussier for the Vietnamese national team, but Van Tung is also in fierce competition. Van Do scored his third goal in four starts in the V-League when he found the net against SLNA, putting Hanoi Police FC in second place. Wearing the HAGL jersey, Quoc Viet assisted Washington Brandao's goal against Da Nang FC. Besides the team competition, individuals are also fiercely vying to impress Troussier for the upcoming June training camp.
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