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After a 1-1 draw in the first 90 minutes of play, Punjab FC secured a 5-4 win over Bhaichung Bhutia Football School in penalty shootouts at the Vedas International School on Friday. Goals from either side in the first half took the teams into a shootout, but it was Punjab FC who came from behind to reach the National Finals, which will take place in Mumbai.
In Group A of the Delhi Leg, Punjab FC won both their matches against Sudeva Delhi FC 3-0 and 1-0 respectively. Group B saw more exciting action as BBFS finished on top by one point ahead of Zinc FA. In tandem with the excitement across all the regional rounds of the Dream Sports Championship, C Beichhuahmo got the lead for BBFS Delhi in the 27th minute. Just before the first half ended, Pyrkhatshaphrang Sumar scored an equaliser for Punjab FC. After Punjab FC captain Karish Soram was given a red card, the second half saw both teams take a more cautious approach. The onus was on the defensive units to keep the score level. The hero for Punjab FC was their goalkeeper Viswajeet Yadav. His two saves at the end of the shootout secured an impressive victory for his team and a spot in the coveted Finals. After the match, the team's skipper was elated, and said, "Coming back after one down to win the match was very good. Especially after I got sent off. I could not watch after we missed the first penalty so I am very proud of my team. (About the tournament) There are not many U17 tournaments and this is very helpful for the future of football. The Dream Sports Championship gives the players to develop their skills." "We will take the positives from the tournament and look to improve on them. This tournament is very good for the development of young players. Playing in the final is especially important because players will learn when they face pressure situations. So a big thank you to Dream Sports Foundation for organising this tournament" said the head coach Ishant Singh. With the culmination of the Delhi leg, five teams have now confirmed their place in the Dream Sports Championship's national finals, with the Bengaluru and Goa regional rounds currently underway. Joining Punjab FC from Delhi are -- East Bengal FC from Kolkata, Reliance Foundation Young Champs and Mumbai City FC from Mumbai, and Football 4 Change, who also won the Shillong Leg on Friday. (ANI)
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