One Last Roar

A lot has happened this season. And perhaps words may never fully do justice to the roller-coaster of emotions we’ve all been through over the last seven months.

This season demanded difficult decisions. From a personnel point of view, we released players and staff whose efforts helped build the very foundation that brought us here. It was never easy, but every decision was made with one belief — that the people coming in were the right ones to take this club forward and help MYJ compete at the next level.

And step by step, the journey began.

Through hard work, discipline and perseverance, we cruised through the group stage of the Mumbai Premier League. We travelled outside Mumbai and Maharashtra, playing tournaments away from home to test, toughen and prepare ourselves for the challenge that awaited us — the 2025-26 I-League 2 season, a competition we had dreamt of ever since qualification was secured back in October 2024.

Then came the moment we had all waited for.

Under the sun at the iconic Cooperage Stadium, MYJ Mumbai finally stepped onto the national stage. The stands were alive. The atmosphere, electric. Flags waving and voices echoing through every part of the stadium. This was the dream — ours, and yours.

And then, football reminded us how unforgiving it can be.

Thirty minutes into our first-ever I-League 2 match, we found ourselves two goals down. But this team refused to fold. We fought back level, only to concede again almost immediately. Time was running out and defeat seemed inevitable. And then came the 88th minute — a strike from distance, unstoppable, crashing into the top corner. A goal that shook Cooperage to its core. We nearly found a fourth moments later.

Maybe it wasn’t the perfect start. But Mumbai… were you not entertained?

As the league progressed, we picked up four points from our opening three matches, including our historic first win in the I-league. All this while balancing Mumbai Premier League (MPL) playoff fixtures, training, recovery and preparation. Yet somehow, through the chaos and fatigue, the boys kept fighting. And soon enough, we found ourselves in the MPL semi-finals too.

Then came the away stretch in I-League 2 — the part of the season that tested us the most.

Different climates. Difficult pitches. Long journeys. Injuries to key players at crucial moments. Some setbacks came from circumstances beyond control, others from mistakes we know we should have avoided. Losing every away game is not something acceptable at a club with ambition. But hiding from failure helps nobody.

So we embraced it.

Because growth does not come only from victories. Sometimes it comes from being humbled. From understanding exactly how far you still need to go. From realising what it truly takes to compete — and survive — at the national level.

And yet, despite all of it, the season still had one final twist waiting for us.

Never during pre-season did we imagine that we would be fighting for survival, coming down to the final day. One game. One point needed. Against a side fighting for the championship and/or promotion. The stakes could not have been higher.

But football has a funny way of bringing you home when you need it most.

The final league game was moved to our own backyard at Neville D’Souza Football Turf. Familiar surroundings. Familiar voices. One final push.

And our boys delivered.

Every tackle. Every sprint. Every challenge. Every drop of sweat. They fought for the badge, for each other and for every single person who has stood by this club. Once again, we came from behind. Once again, we refused to give up. And when the final whistle blew, that point was enough to secure our place in I-League 2.

Maybe this season was always meant to unfold the way it did. Maybe the journey had to test us before it could shape us.

And maybe, just maybe, the final day of the I-League 2 season would never have been as dramatic if MYJ Mumbai — a club fighting for survival — wasn’t standing in the middle of a fixture that impacted the title race itself. We kept the league alive till the very end. We kept people watching. We kept people believing.

But here’s what matters most. We did not merely survive relegation - we kept Mumbai football alive on the national stage. Today, we still remain the only club from Mumbai competing in a national league. And next season, we go again — wiser, tougher, hungrier and more determined than ever before.

To our fans, our MYJ family, our volunteers, staff, players, partners and every person associated with this club — thank you. You have stood with us through every high and every low. You celebrated the moments of glory and carried the pain of defeat with us. Through the wins and difficult results, your support never stopped.

And together, we now stand one game away from another trophy.

The Mumbai Premier League is special to us. It is the competition that built our foundation, gave us our identity and opened the path to the national stage. Reaching this final means everything because it reminds us where we came from.

Tomorrow, we step onto the pitch one last time this season.

One more final. One more battle. One more opportunity to make history. One last roar — together.

MYJ Mumbai vs MH Oranje

Mumbai Premier League Final

Thursday, May 21 | 4:00 PM

Neville D’Souza Football Turf, Bandra West