Two-time defending champions Pune FC will begin their campaign against Mumbai Tigers FC in their U-19 I-League opener in Pune on Tuesday, 14th January, 2014.
Pune FC goes into the tournament looking for a hat-trick of wins after emerging top in the last two editions of the competition in Kalyani (2012) and Jamshedpur (2013) respectively.
Clubbed in the five-team Maharashtra-zone, Pune FC Under-19s – comprising of the second batch of the Peninsula Pune Football Club Academy (PPFCA) players – will be up against fellow Under-19 teams that include Mumbai FC, Kenkre FC, PIFA Colaba FC and AIFF Navi Mumbai Academy apart from Mumbai Tigers.
Post expansion, the U-19 I-League will be played in a new format and will have 29 teams contest for top honours in a two-tier run to the title.
The five zones include, Kolkata, Mumbai, Shillong, Goa and Rest of India.
The four city-named zones will engage themselves in a home-away format with the winner advancing to the final leg to be held in Jamshedpur. The Rest of India zone will play a single-leg in Jamshedpur with the Top 2 advancing.
The Final-leg of the U-19 I-League, which will include 6 teams is scheduled in mid-April in Jamshedpur and will be played on a single-leg.
In winning the last two editions of the competition, Pune FC has set the record of most number of wins. In 2013, they logged seven wins (3 in group stage/4 in final stage) while in 2012 they romped to the title with an all win record (4 in group stage/5 in final stage).