2013 V.League 1

The 2013 V.League 1 (known as the Eximbank V.League 1 for sponsorship reasons) season was the 30th season of Vietnam's national football league and the 13th as a professional league. The season began on 3 March 2013 and finished on 31 August 2013.

Team changes
The following teams have changed division since the 2012 season.

To V.League 1
Promoted from V.League 2
 * Đồng Nai
 * Đồng Tâm Long An

From V.League 1
Folded
 * Hà Nội
 * Khatoco Khánh Hòa F.C.
 * Navibank Sài Gòn

Relegated
 * TĐCS Đồng Tháp

Rule changes
After a 5-year absence, the AFC announced that the V.League 1 champions would be allowed to compete in the 2014 AFC Champions League playoff stage.

Teams
Number of participating clubs in the 2013 campaign is 12.

Vicem Hải Phòng's relegation to the 2013 Vietnamese First Division season was confirmed on 29 July 2012. However, the club returned to the V.League for the 2013 season to replace Khatoco Khánh Hòa, who were dissolved on 8 December 2012.

TĐCS Đồng Tháp were relegated after rivals Khatoco Khánh Hòa defeated Sông Lam Nghệ An 1–0 on 19 August 2012.

Đồng Tâm Long An (as Champions) and Hà Nội T&T Youth (as runners-up) secured direct promotion to the V.League from the 2012 Vietnamese First Division. Đồng Tâm Long An returned to the V.League after a one-season absence. However, Hà Nội T&T Youth remained in the second tier of Vietnamese football due to league rules about clubs with the same owners competing in the same division.

Hà Nội was dissolved on 27 November 2012 when club officials could not secure a new sponsor after the earlier arrest of Chairman Nguyen Duc Kien caused all sponsorship from his assets to be blocked. Navibank Sài Gòn was sold on 22 October 2012 after the title sponsor of the club announced the a move away from sports, but the new owners announced on 5 December 2012 that the club would be dissolved before the start of the 2013 campaign., finally this club was dissolved.

On 8 December 2012, the VPF had stated that the Vietnam U22 team would be added to the V.League to gain experience ahead of the 2013 Southeast Asian Games and to bring the participating number of clubs to 12. However, the Vietnam Football Federation announced on December 13, 2012 that 2012 Vietnamese First Division second runners-up Đồng Nai would be the twelfth club in the 2013 campaign.

Controversy
After Xuân Thành Sài Gòn was docked points for what the VFF deemed the club unsportsmanlike conduct when the club fielded a noncompetitive squad for their Matchdat 20 meeting with Sông Lam Nghệ An, club officials announced that the club would withdraw from the league. On August 22, 2013, the VFF approved Xuân Thành Sài Gòn's withdrawal request. Matches where the club was involved were vacated. The VFF is still debating if the last place club will still be relegated to V.League 2, though the league charter states that the club in 12th place would be the only club relegated in the 2013 campaign.

Personnel and kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Foreign players
Note:

1Those players who were born and started their professional career abroad but have since gained Vietnamese Residency;

2Foreign residents who have chosen to represent Vietnam national team;

3Vietnamese residents who have chosen to represent another national team

Hat-tricks

 * Scored four goals

Scoring

 * First goal of the season: Gonzalo for Hà Nội T&T against Hoàng Anh Gia Lai ( 2 March 2013 )
 * Fastest goal of the season: 1 minute, Abass Cheikh Dieng for Thanh Hóa against Kienlongbank Kiên Giang ( 27 April 2013 )
 * Largest winning margin: 8 goals
 * Sông Lam Nghệ An 8–0 Đồng Tâm Long An ( 30 June 2013 )
 * Highest scoring game: 8 goals
 * Sông Lam Nghệ An 8–0 Đồng Tâm Long An ( 30 June 2013 )
 * Most goals scored in a match by a single team: 8 goals
 * Sông Lam Nghệ An 8–0 Đồng Tâm Long An ( 30 June 2013 )
 * Most goals scored in a match by a losing team: 3 goals
 * Becamex Bình Dương 3–4 Thanh Hóa ( 26 May 2013 )
 * Vicem Hải Phòng 3–4 Đồng Tâm Long An ( 21 July 2013 )
 * Vissai Ninh Bình 3-4 Đồng Tâm Long An ( 3 August 2013 )

Clean sheets

 * Most clean sheets: 8
 * SHB Đà Nẵng
 * Fewest clean sheets: 0
 * Kienlongbank Kiên Giang

Discipline

 * Most yellow cards (club): 62
 * Sông Lam Nghệ An F.C.
 * Most yellow cards (player): 10
 * Nguyễn Quốc Long (Hà Nội T&T)
 * Most red cards (club): 6
 * Thanh Hóa F.C.
 * Most red cards (player): 2
 * Cao Sỹ Cường (Hà Nội T&T)
 * Nguyễn Quốc Long (Hà Nội T&T)
 * Trần Thanh Tuấn (XM Vicem Hải Phòng)
 * Đoàn Việt Cường (XM Xuân Thành Sài Gòn)

Top scorer
Gonzalo Damian Marronkle (Hà Nội T&T) Samson Kayode Olaleye (Hà Nội T&T)

Manager of the Season
Phan Thanh Hùng (Hà Nội T&T)

Best player of the Season
Gonzalo Damian Marronkle (Hà Nội T&T)

Best Young player of the Season
Trần Minh Vương (HAGL)

Best Referee
Nguyễn Trọng Thư