The 2022-23 I-League 2 now enters the final round of games to decide the teams advancing to the I-League, the second division of men’s football in India, in the 2023-24 season. 20 teams participated in the first round of this year’s competition consisting of 12 state league winners, six ISL reserve sides, and two, Shillong Lajong and DownTown Heroes coming from the qualifiers. The games were played on a home-and-away basis. The teams were divided into five groups with Group A, C and D consisting of five clubs with Group B carrying four.
Check here 2023 I League 2 Qualifiers: Clubs & Fixtures
The group winners along with one best runners-up qualified for the final round. Delhi FC, FC Bengaluru United, Ambernath United and United SC topped their groups while Shillong Lajong came second in Group B to advance further. The five teams will now play each other in the final round with the top two at the end of 20 games qualifying to the I-League. The rest of the three sides will automatically qualify for the final round of the next season of the I-League 2.
Final Round Teams
Delhi FC
Delhi FC had an intense fight with DownTown Heroes and Jagat Singh Palahi for the top spot of Group A, ultimately finishing two points clear of them at the summit. The side from the nation’s capital city lost in the first match against Swades United but managed to turn back with a massive win over the second-placed DownTown, twice against Mumbai City FC reserve time with an aggregate score of 9-0, taking a sweet revenge over Swades and beating Palahi amid losing one against them. A 1-1 draw with the side from Srinagar in the last match was enough to put them through.
United SC
United Sports Club is one of the two teams among the final five to have an I-League experience. The West Bengal-based club first participated in 2007 when it was in the top division league. United have the chance now to grace the tournament again after eight years. They were in a neck-and-neck battle with Shillong Lajong, the other former I-League side, in Group B and the 96-year-old club sneaked in at the top just by a point. In the group-deciding game, United defeated bottom-placed The Diamond Rock 3-2 in a thrilling encounter to secure the final-round berth without losing a match.
Shillong Lajong
Also joining United SC from Group B is Shillong Lajong who qualified as the best second-placed side from the first round. Since the group only had four teams, the result against the fifth-placed side from other groups was not counted to determine the runners-up points of each group. Hence, the Mizoram-based side qualified finishing two points clear of the second-best ARA FC from Group D in the rankings. Despite finishing second, Lajong scored more goals than leaders United with 13 and also conceded less with only three. They leaked those goals in the two top of the table games, suffering a loss in the first one and drawing the other. Both will play each other once again in the final round in the first game itself.
FC Bengaluru United
Being a regular in I-League 2 over the past few years, FC Bengaluru United finally wants to make the step up to the I-League after a powerful display in the first round. The side from Bangalore ended on 17 points from eight games well ahead of second-placed Golden Threads with 12, losing just once and becoming the highest scorers in the competition with 21 goals. 21-year-old forward Irfan Yadwad scored 11 of those goals claiming the golden boot.
Ambernath United
Group D was all about a wrenching battle between Ambernath United and ARA FC for the top spot which ended with both clubs level on points. However, the club from Maharashtra booked the ticket to the final round courtesy of a better head-to-head record over ARA by beating them in the last group match. Ambernath arrives at the final round as the underdogs but that does not stop them from being ambitious having formed just over a year ago.
First Round Table
Group A
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
Q | Delhi FC | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 5 | +15 | 16 |
2 | DownTown Heroes | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 14 |
3 | Jagat Singh Palahi | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 9 | +1 | 13 |
4 | Techtro Swades | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 12 |
5 | Mumbai City FC (R) | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 23 | -19 | 2 |
Group B
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
Q | United SC | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 14 |
Q | Shillong Lajong | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 3 | +10 | 13 |
3 | East Bengal (R) | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 7 |
4 | The Diamond Rock | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 18 | -15 | 0 |
Group C
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
Q | FC Bengaluru United | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 5 | +16 | 17 |
2 | Golden Threads | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 12 |
3 | Bengaluru FC (R) | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 11 | -1 | 11 |
4 | Chennaiyin FC (R) | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 17 | -10 | 9 |
5 | RKM FA | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 15 | -7 | 7 |
Group D
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
Q | Ambernath United | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 9 | +8 | 17 |
2 | ARA FC | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 5 | +8 | 17 |
3 | Dempo | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 14 |
4 | Hyderabad (R) | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 10 | -6 | 4 |
5 | FC Goa (R) | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 17 | -13 | 4 |
Final Round Fixtures
Saturday, 6 May 2023
Shillong Lajong vs United SC - SSA Stadium (3:00 PM)
FC Bengaluru United vs Delhi FC - Bangalore Football Stadium (4:00 PM)
Thursday, 11 May 2023
Delhi FC vs Shillong Lajong - Minerva Academy Ground (4:00 PM)
Ambernath United vs FC Bengaluru United - Cooperage Ground (4:30 PM)
Tuesday, 16 May 2023
Ambernath United vs Shillong Lajong - Cooperage Ground (4:30 PM)
United SC vs Delhi FC - Kalyani Stadium (4:30 PM)
Sunday 21 May 2023
Shillong Lajong vs FC Bengaluru United - SSA Stadium (3:00 PM)
United SC vs Ambernath United - Kalyani Stadium (4:00 PM)
Friday 26 May 2023
FC Bengaluru United vs United SC - Bangalore Football Stadium (4:00 PM)
Delhi FC vs Ambernath United - Minerva Academy Ground (4:00 PM)
Also Read | Indian Football Calendar for the year 2023
