JOIN USHASC ended their quarterfinal league campaign with four points while East Bengal topped the group with a maximum nine points. Pune FC finished with three points and Air India had one.
Up against fancied East Bengal, Pune FC played an attacking game from the word go and dominated proceedings, while the defending champions from Kolkata settled for quick counter-attacks. After a goalless first-half, Nigerian striker Orji Penn struck the winner in the 68th minute. Australian recruit Tolgay Ozbey carried the ball from midfield and Penn, after receiving the ball near the box, converted it without much difficulty. EB now face Churchill Brothers in the semis after the latter played out a 0-0 draw with Chirag United and topped Group B on goal difference from Chirag. In the other group match, Viva Kerala and Sesa Football Academy also played out a goalless draw. In Ludhiana, despite being held to a 0-0 draw by JCT at the Guru Nanak stadium, I-League champions Dempo managed to book a last-four berth. JCT, without a single victory, played decent football to earn their first point of the tournament and salvage some pride.
The second match, between ONGC Mumbai and AIFF XI, saw the former win 2-1 after leading by goal at the breather.
Striker Sandeep Sangha opened the account in the 21st minute while Kailah Patel found the target immediately into the second half to make it 2-0 for the Mumbai outfit.
Eleven minutes later, Jeje Lal Pekhlua struck to reduce the margin for AIFF XI.