Bengaluru seal final spot with comeback win over Sudeva in Hero Sub Junior League

AIFF Media 

Sudeva FC and Bengaluru FC (BFC) faced off in an absorbing battle that saw great end-to-end action. BFC started off on the front foot as they created some early openings but just six minutes into the match, it was Sudeva who took the lead through midfielder Hiti Seb from the penalty spot. 

The side from Bengaluru upped the ante as a result, coming close to scoring on several occasions. Ishaan Raghunanda had a chance to shoot from the right flank and kept his shot on target, which was tipped past the post by keeper Pankaj Bhandari in the 16th minute.

Four minutes later, they were inches away from equalizing as a chipped effort from the BFC striker was cleared off the line in an acrobatic manner by Sudeva’s Bijay Champia. Soon, Rohit Negi had a chance from a free-kick from the right flank but his curling effort landed on the top of the net.

With the half coming to an end, BFC were not to be denied in the third minute of added time as they scored their first with a goal straight from the training ground. Skipper Gautam Rajesh played a short corner and crossed the ball from the left flank, which was headed in at the far post by defender Vinith Venkatesh.

Scoring just before the break certainly upped BFC’s confidence and they carried it on in the second half – taking the lead in the 40th minute. It was another aerial ball that did the trick as Ishaan’s cross from the right found Chandan Biju unmarked and he headed it home to make it two to BFC.

Sudeva tried hard to find their way past a sturdy BFC defence but could not gain the upper hand. In the 53rd minute, Bengaluru were inches away from their third goal as forward Yodhin Rishyak struck a powerful shot from the top of the box but saw it come back out off the post.

In the end, Bengaluru held on for the win and made their way into the final, that will take place at the Don Bosco Ground in Margao on Wednesday (May 22, 2019).

Bengaluru cruise 5-0 past Anantapur Sports Academy, end zonal stages unbeaten

Bengaluru FC Media

Rajan Mani’s Bengaluru FC U13s put on a clinical show to enter the final rounds of the Hero Sub Junior League unbeaten, following a 5-0 rout of Ananthapur Sports Academy at the Bengaluru Football Stadium, in Bengaluru, on Thursday. Ishaan Raghunanda scored a hat-trick, while goals from Chandan Biju and Gautam Rajesh ensured the Young Blues ended the Zonal Rounds with a perfect record.

In a game that the hosts dominated from start to finish, it was Ishaan that broke the deadlock in the 8th minute, taking a pass in his stride before slotting home from inside the box. Chandan doubled the lead 15 minutes later, holding off his marker to slot past Fayaz Khureshi in the Ananthapur goal to double the advantage going into the break.

Mani’s side continued to push forward in the second period, and took just eight minutes to add to their advantage. Substitute Aditya Kalasur played a long diagonal that sliced the Ananthapur defence, and Ishaan made no mistake slotting home off the upright. In the 64th minute, skipper Gautam Rajesh got his name on the scoresheet, rising high to nod home Kalasur’s corner into the far post to make it 5-0.

Ishaan completed his treble with just three minutes left to play in regulation time after he was found unmarked outside the area by Gautam. In space and with time at hand, his low drive was past the outstretched arms of Fayaz.

Bengaluru FC U13s will step up their preparations for the final round of the Hero Sub Junior League, set to be held in Goa between 14th and 22nd May 2019.

Bengaluru FC U13s 5 (Ishaan 8’, 43’, 67’, Chandan 22’, Gautam 64’) bt Ananthapur Sports Academy 0

Bengaluru hammer Jain Academy 7-0 in Sub-Junior League

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC cruised to their seventh straight victory in the Hero Sub-Junior League after a massive 7-0 win over Jain Academy for Sporting Excellence encounter at the Jain Global Campus in Bengaluru on Thursday. 

In another match from the same group, Boca Juniors Football School defeated Ananthpur Sports Academy 4-1. 

In a completely one-sided affair, it was goals from Aditya Kalasur (24’, 33’), Chandan Biju (27’), Yodhin Rishyak (35’, 66’), Gautam Rajesh (46’) and Ayush Goel (56’) that handed Rajan Mani’s boys their second biggest win of the campaign, following their 11-0 hammering of the same opponent on the opening day.

The win also took the Young Blues’ tally to 21 points further increasing their lead in Group B of the Bengaluru Zone having already booked their spot in the final phase of the competition.

Bengaluru FC will now host Ananthapur Sports Academy at the Bengaluru Football Stadium on April 4 in their last game of the zonal phase. 

Bengaluru FC boys qualify for final phase in Sub-Junior League

Bengaluru FC Media

Bengaluru FC boys came from behind to secure a 3-1 win over Raman Sports Academy in their sixth game in Group B of the Bengaluru Zone in the Hero Sub-Junior League, at the Bengaluru Football Stadium, yesterday. The win sealed a top place finish in Group B of the Bengaluru Zone for the Young Blues (18 points) who qualified for the final phase of the competition with an unassailable lead at the top with two rounds to go. 

In what was their sixth successive win, it was Ashem Robert Meitei who gave the visitors a 23rd minute lead before goals from all three BFC strikers, Ayush Goel (33’), Ishaan Raghunanda (66’) and Yodhin Rishyak (68’), made it 3-1 to the Young Blues. 

Raman Vijayan Sports Academy were handed a lead inside the half hour mark as a free-kick from the edge of the box deflected off Joshua Wilson in the BFC wall to drop kindly at the far post where Meitei made no mistake with the tap-in. Bengaluru responded just 10 minutes later as Yodhin and Ishaan combined in midfield before the latter drove forward with possession. Ishaan’s cross into the area would be converted by Ayush with a left-footed shot as both sides entered the break with the scores level. 

Raman Sports Academy would deny the young Blues on multiple occasions but mistakes from goalkeeper Arnav Sharma would cost them in the final ten minutes. Unable to judge the direction of a cross from Ishaan, Arnav fumbled at the near post, gifting Bengaluru a lead with four minutes left to play. The ‘keeper would be in the thick of the action once again as Yodhin’s long-range effort would slip through his grasp and roll past the goal-line, handing the young Blues all points for a sixth game on the trot. 

Bengaluru FC next face Jain Academy for Sporting Excellence on March 28th, at the Jain Global Campus Ground.

Roots FS wins against Sporthood in Hero Sub-Junior League opener

Roots Football School started their season with a 6-1 win in their first home match against SportHood in the Hero Sub-Junior League at the Padukone-Dravid Center of Sports Excellence.

Gavin Rasquinha scored the first goal for Roots FS off a free kick in the fourth minute. Leo Saiju equalized within few minutes later. Samrudh Sharan tapped in a cross from Riki to restore the lead for Roots. Gavin went on to complete a hat trick in the first half, and added another to his tally in the second half. Agasthyaa Thakur scored in the dying moments to make it six for Roots.

Bengaluru FC down Jain Academy 11-0

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC began their Hero Sub-Junior League campaign in style with a massive 11-0 win over Jain Academy for Sports Excellence at the Bengaluru Football Stadium, on Sunday. 

The victory was powered by a four-goal effort from Chandan Biju (1’, 29’, 37’, 46’), while Ishaan Raghunanda (4’, 52’), Yodhin Rishyak (12’, 31’) and skipper Gautam Rajesh (23’, 64’) struck braces. Vinith Venkatesh (9’) was the fifth goalscorer for Bengaluru FC who secured all three points and moved to the summit of Group-B of the Bengaluru Zone in the competition. 

In a completely one-sided affair, the Young Blues dominated right from the start and struck seven times inside the first half. The best of the efforts came from skipper Gautam, who let one fly from 20 yards into the bottom corner. Rajan Mani's boys continued to impress in the second period with four more goals to take the tally into double digits. 

Bengaluru FC will next play BOCA Juniors SC away at the Centre for Sports Excellence in Yelahanka on Thursday, February 28. 

Roots Football School kick-off U13 Youth League Final Round campaign tomorrow

Roots Football School (RFS) will be representing Garden City in the final round of U13 Youth League. For the first time AIFF is conducting a National League for this age category. 70 teams took part in the U13 Youth League for which the pre-qualifying rounds were kicked-off in October last year. 

RFS had a brilliant run in the Karnataka Zone qualifiers getting the better of heavyweights Bengaluru FC and Ozone FCB and maintaining an all-win record. 

The final round comprising of eleven teams distributed in three groups will be playing at the various venues in Kolkata. 

RFS is placed in Group C along with Chennaiyin Football Club, Sudeva Football Club, and Sports Authority of India (EZ). The matches will be played at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan Practice Ground, Salt Lake. 

Group A comprises of Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools, Minerva Punjab FC, Aizawl, and, Reliance Foundation Young Champs and Group B - Mohammedan Sporting Club, Dempo Sports Club, and Shillong Lajong Football Club. 

• 9 am, April 29, 2018: RFS 1 Vs Chennaiyin 1 
• 9 am, May 1, 2018: RFS 0 Vs SAI – EZ 5
• 9 am, May 3, 2018: RFS 1 Vs Sudeva 9

AIFF disqualify Bengaluru U13 and Ozone FC U15 youth teams

Youth teams of Bengaluru FC (under 13) and Ozone FC Bengaluru (under 15) have been banned from further participating in the ongoing AIFF Youth League. Jammu United youth teams too have been disqualified from the same competition. 

These teams have been found fielding over-aged players in Youth League. 

Ankith P from Bengaluru FC and Akash Jadhav from Ozone FC team were found overage in their respective group, which ensued disqualification of players and clubs.

Notably, Ankith P was a part of the state U15 team, he recently took part in the Sub-junior Nationals at Phagwara, Punjab. Several teams playing in Bangalore Zone Youth League have raised concern over his participation. 

U13 Youth League: Roots defeat Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru FC boys tasted their first defeat in their U13 Youth League (Bangalore Zone) campaign by Roots Sports School. Playing home, at the Bangalore Football Stadium today morning, BFC boys went down by an early goal from Gabriel Savage. 

Maintaining an all-win record (9 wins, 27 pts), Roots Football School continue to stay at the top of the table, and only need a point to qualify to the final round. Bengaluru have played two games less, they are on second spot with 18 pts from 7 games. They must win their remaining matches to top the table. 

Both teams meet again on Sunday, Jan 28, 3 PM, in BFC’s away encounter at Padukone Dravid Center For Sports Excellence, Yelahanka. 

U13 Youth League: Roots Football beat Ozone again

Roots Football School won their away match against Ozone Group FC by 4-0 in the AIFF U-13 India Youth League at the Bangalore Football Stadium. 

Goals by Gambheer B (4) Rayaan Shakeer (23), Ngamminthang Kipgen (35), and R Neil Joseph (63) made it a comfortable win for Roots.

Roots FS, remain unbeaten in their first eight matches and continued to stay at the top of the Bengaluru zone of the Under 13 Youth League. Bengaluru zone has six teams playing on a home and away basis, to qualify for the national rounds.    

U13 Youth League: Roots Football score big win against Ozone

Roots Football School won their home match against Ozone FC by a big margin of 5-1 in the AIFF U-13 Youth League at the Padukone-Dravid  Center of Sports Excellence ground in Bengaluru. 

Captain Rayaan Shakeer put Roots FS into the lead in the 4th minute from a free kick that beat the keeper. Pranav B doubled the lead in the 15th minute from a penalty kick, resulting out of a hand ball. 

Karan Nair pulled one back for Ozone just before the half time. A few minutes into the second half Ozone conceded another hand ball off a corner, and Gautam Rajesh made no mistake in slotting it home. 

Ebenezer Paul scored another goal in quick succession from a pass from Gambeer who made a good run to take the game away from Ozone. Kshitij Gupta completed the dominance with a brilliant solo run all the way from the defense line to goal, dribbling through half of the Ozone team. 

The win puts Roots FS, unbeaten in the first three matches to the top of the Bengaluru Zone of the Under 13 Youth League that has six teams from Bangalore playing on a home and away basis.

206 teams to participate in U-13, U-15 and U-18 Youth League

AIFF Media

In pursuit of creating a robust football structure across the length and breadth of the country, the AIFF is encouraging the Grassroots Football. As many as 206 teams will ply their trade across the three different age-group competitions this season which will kick-off in October 2017.

Teams from I-league, Indian Super League, Second Division League (as per last year only), Sports Authority of India and accredited academies under the AIFF Academy Accreditation Program are going to participate in the three separate Youth Leagues (U-13, U-15 and U-18 age-groups).

It'll be the first season of the U-13 Youth League while the U-15 Youth League will fall into its third season.

This is the first instance when the AIFF will implement the 'Homegrown' rule which signifies that each of the 206 teams has to register a minimum number of 6 homegrown players in the squad. A player who is born in the same state where the parent club is registered will be tagged as a 'Homegrown' player.

When 80 teams have already confirmed their participation in the U-15 age group, 70 and 56 teams will take part in the U-13 and U-18 Youth League respectively.

U-18 Youth League Qualifying round is scheduled to start in Chennai, Maharashtra, Kolkata and Delhi at a time on November 20, 2017.

Having the pre-qualifying rounds for U-15 and U-13 Youth League already kicked off in New Delhi, the U-15 and U-13 Youth League qualifying rounds are scheduled to start on October 26, 2017 and October 28,2017 respectively.