Viettel to face Hai Phong in 2021 V.League 1 opener

Viettel FC players celebrate their 2020 V.League 1 title. The champions will host Hai Phong FC in the opening match of the coming season. Photo VPF

The top six teams will go into a playoff for the title starting in July, while the remaining eight will battle it out to avoid relegation.

The champions will pocket a bonus of VND3 billion (US$130,000).

The club who finish second from bottom will face the second-placed team from the V.League 2 for a place in the top flight in 2022.

“The first match is always a difficult one, so we will prepare carefully and play as well as possible,” said Viettel goalkeeper Tran Nguyen Manh.

“I hope both teams put on a good show for the supporters.”

Viettel won the national trophy after winning a dramatic final 1-0 against Sai Gon last month. Formally known as The Cong (Military Team), Viettel have won 18 league titles, and only returned to the topflight in 2019 after spending several years in the lower leagues.

Hai Phong are unlikely to be a pushover this year despite finishing 12^th last season having defeated former champions Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Song Lam Nghe An FC and Becamex Binh Duong in the past.

In their last three meetings, Viettel won two and lost one, with the most recent being a 4-0 victory.

Newcomers Binh Dinh are back in the premier league after a 12-year absence.

They will face Song Lam Nghe An away at Vinh City Stadium.

Pre-season, coach Nguyen Duc Thang said he was quietly confident in his team.

“We have been preparing for the new challenge since after the end of the last season, with three intensive training camps in the Central Highlands,” said Thang, whose team have also been busy in the transfer market recently.

“We are looking for three foreign players and three midfielders to strengthen our squad. I hope we can fill the hole in the next few weeks.

“We’re the new boys so we have to be realistic and set a target first of staying up. A top six finish would be a dream,” he said.

In other matches, runners-up Ha Noi FC will visit Nam Dinh FC at Thien Truong Stadium.

The hosts are unlikely to be challenging Ha Noi but they have posed questions of the six-time champion team for the past two seasons.

Elsewhere, Hoang Anh Gia Lai under new coach Kiatisuk Senamuang will travel to Thong Nhat Stadium for a clash with Sai Gon FC; Hong Linh Ha Tinh will host Quang Ninh; Binh Duong will entertain Thanh Hoá, while SHB Đà Nẵng will play HCM City.

By Thanh Ha