How Did Mizoram Conclude Group D with an Unblemished Record in the Swami Vivekananda Men’s U20 NFC?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Mizoram finished Group D with an unbeaten record.
- Jharkhand managed only one goal against the strong Mizoram defense.
- Maharashtra secured a solid win over Tripura.
- Punjab displayed a dominating performance to advance in the tournament.
- Strong individual performances shaped the outcomes of these matches.
Narainpur, May 20 (NationPress) Mizoram triumphed over Jharkhand with a score of 3-1 during their final Group D match in the Swami Vivekananda U20 Men's National Football Championship held at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Ground on Tuesday. In a concurrent match, Maharashtra secured a 2-0 victory against Tripura.
The northeastern team, having already advanced to the quarter-finals prior to this match, finished the group stage unbeaten, accumulating a total of 12 points in Group D. They were followed by Maharashtra with 9 points, Tripura with 6, Jharkhand with 3, and Himachal Pradesh with none.
Mizoram took an early lead in their 3-1 victory against Jharkhand, with PC Pazawna finding the net in the 4th minute from inside the box. John Lalrinawma then doubled the advantage with a header from a corner in the 11th minute, and Ngurthanmawia sealed the match with a right-footed strike in the 87th minute.
Birbal Mohli managed to score for Jharkhand in the 38th minute due to a defensive lapse from Mizoram, who lost the ball just outside the box.
In another matchup, Kshitij Maral initiated scoring for Maharashtra in the 62nd minute, followed by Eashan Sartape scoring in the 94th minute, effectively putting the game out of reach for Tripura.
On Monday, Punjab advanced to the quarter-finals of the Swami Vivekananda U20 NFC after a resounding 8-1 victory over Ladakh in their Group C match, while Manipur defeated Sikkim 6-1.
In their quest for three points to secure the top position and a spot in the quarter-finals, Punjab delivered a comprehensive performance against Ladakh, who briefly led early in the match but found themselves trailing 3-1 at halftime.