The all-new division 3 is set to kick off on November 12th at FSV Arena as the teams take to the pitch! With three spots up for promotion this season, we expect this to be the biggest and best season yet.
The new venue for the games is the world class facility boasting training pitches as well as the main pitch and a FIFA certified turf which should provide teams with a smooth experience.
11:00 AM - Decathlon FC v Oldman’s Park
The first game to kick off Division 3 is an interesting game with Oldman’s Park making their re-entry into TAL taking on the new entrants Decathlon FC. Oldman’s Park boasts of a young vivacious squad to carry out the attacks and fall back for defence while their experienced players from their initial squad orchestrate the gameplay from the middle.
Not much is known about Decathlon FC since they are a new team but the hype has certainly been built and with the availability of facilities to train and easy communication between players they have a certain level of efficiency that could go a long way for them.
Players to watch: Sultan Barnes (Decathlon FC), Nischay Jankal (Oldman’s Park)
Crystal Ball: Decathlon FC (2) – (1) Oldman’s Park
12:30 PM - Bull Ring AFC v Jain University
Next up is a game to watch out for with two teams that are poles apart facing off against each other. We have Bull Ring AFC that have developed a quick and concise style of play and it will be interesting to note how it’s going to pan out on the 11’s pitch. They also have quite a few recognised names from the Bangalore footballing scene in their squad to add to their prowess.
Jain University despite making their debut in TAL are a well-known team with tons of accolades under their belt. They are certainly a title contending team and are expected to clinch the promotion spot with ease.
Players to watch: Dominic Vijay (Bull Ring AFC), Sudhir R (Jain University)
Crystal Ball: Bull Ring AFC (1) – (3) Jain University
2:00 PM - Joga Bonito v Bangalore City FC
The match between Joga Bonito and Bangalore City FC is a promising match with both teams doing well in their pre-season friendlies showing other teams what they are capable of. Joga Bonito is a diverse squad with well-experienced players, particularly strong in defence and are sure to make life difficult for the forwards of any team.
Bangalore City FC, on the other hand, are the favourites in Division 3, having trounced all their opponents in the friendlies. The sky is the limit for this team as they will be looking to make quick examples of their opponents.
Players to watch: Mohammad (Joga Bonito), Seye Kire (Bangalore City FC)
Crystal Ball: Joga Bonito (1) – (3) Bangalore City FC
3:30 PM - Bangalore Kop v Vipers FC
The two teams have faced each other during the practice friendlies with the Vipers utterly demolishing the Kopites. Bangalore Kop is a culmination of the Liverpool fans of Bangalore joining together to form a team. Having had a poor performance in the pre-season friendlies they are looking to capitalise on their mistakes and make the necessary changes to be a formidable side this season.
Vipers FC, perhaps the team with the most swag is surely a side to watch out for. From a mediocre performance during their first friendly to demolishing Bangalore Kop in their next friendly they have had a steady ascension towards becoming a well-rounded team fit for title contention.
Players to watch: Rodney Jude (Bangalore Kop), Soumyadeep Bakshi (Vipers FC)
Crystal Ball: Bangalore Kop (2) – (4) Vipers FC
5:00 PM - Phoenix FC v Engineers United
Phoenix FC and Engineers United is an important fixture which will play a crucial role in determining either team’s prospects later on in the season. Phoenix FC is a solid team that struggled to find their footing early on but with a new found belief and tons of recruits, this team is well on their way to becoming a top-tier side.
Engineers United is undoubtedly the team with the most heart. Being the only Division 3 squad in the TAL Cup, they won many hearts with their tremendous display of chemistry and hard work. Their understanding of each other’s game is going to be advantageous for them over the other teams that are relatively new.
Players to watch: Priyankur Basumatary (Phoenix FC), Kenneth Wong (Engineers United)
Crystal Ball: Phoenix FC (2) – (4) Engineers United
6:30 PM - Amigos FC v Sunday Boys
The last match of division 3 between Amigos FC and Sunday Boys is going to determine a lot more than which team secures those 3 points up for grabs, The Division 3 pecking order is also going to be established and none of the teams would want to find themselves on the bottom.
Amigos FC started off their campaign in the friendlies but started losing their composure in the next few games. This match will be crucial to determine where they stand as far as the rest of the league is concerned.
Sunday Boys are the last team to sign up in Division 3 and with not much being known about their squad they have the element of surprise up their sleeves and will be looking to capitalize on just that hoping their opponents won’t know what hit them. Word around the street is that they have signed some promising professional players that are sure to make their team a force to reckon with.
Players to watch: Dinesh Maran (Amigos FC), Chandan Pratap (Sunday Boys)
Crystal Ball: Amigos FC (2) – (2) Sunday Boys
