Round 13 of League III Group D delivered another action-packed set of fixtures, with 52 goals? No—this round was much tighter than that, producing several close contests, a major upset at the top, and some important results for teams fighting to stay in the promotion picture.
With 50 rounds in the season, there are still 37 rounds remaining, so the standings are far from settled. However, Round 13 showed once again that Group D's leading teams cannot afford to take anyone lightly.
The stakes remain:
- 🥇 1st place: Automatic promotion to League II
- 🏆 2nd–9th: Promotion playoffs
- 🎟️ 10th: Friendly Cup
- 👑 11th–12th: King's Cup
- 🚫 No relegation from League III
AIK Fotboll defeat Plaza Colonia
The round opened at Nationalarenan with AIK Fotboll defeating Club Plaza Colonia 4–2.
AIK entered the match ranked 25th, while Plaza Colonia were 26th, making this a battle between the two lowest-ranked teams shown in the fixtures.
AIK took full advantage, scoring four goals and claiming three valuable points. While neither club is currently threatening the promotion places, victories like this could become important as they attempt to climb toward the King's Cup positions.
For Plaza Colonia, conceding four goals in a match against a fellow bottom-two side is a disappointing result.
Aeldals stun Bentín Tacna Heroica
One of the round's biggest surprises came at Hovskärsvägen 56, where Aeldals IK defeated Bentín Tacna Heroica 2–1.
Aeldals entered the fixture ranked 22nd, while Bentín were an impressive 3rd.
That makes this a huge upset.
Bentín were positioned among the leading promotion contenders and had an opportunity to strengthen their challenge for automatic promotion or at least secure a playoff place. Instead, Aeldals took all three points.
For Bentín, this is precisely the type of result that could become costly later in the 50-round campaign.
Arameisk-Syrianska edge Cartago
At Brunna IP, Arameisk-Syrianska IF defeated Cartaginés 3–2.
Arameisk-Syrianska came into the match ranked 12th, while Cartago were 7th.
The result is significant because Cartago entered the round inside the promotion-playoff positions.
Arameisk-Syrianska therefore picked up three points against a direct upper-table competitor, while Cartago missed an opportunity to strengthen their position inside the top nine.
With the difference between playoff qualification and the cup positions potentially becoming very small, this could be an important result.
Mushuc Runa continue their promotion push
At Estadio COAC Mushuc Runa, Mushuc Runa defeated San Lorenzo de Almagro 2–1.
Mushuc Runa entered Round 13 ranked 6th, while San Lorenzo were 15th.
This was a match Mushuc Runa needed to win—and they did.
The three points allow the 6th-ranked side to continue its push toward the promotion places. With a top-nine finish required to reach the playoffs, maintaining consistency against lower-ranked opposition will be critical.
San Lorenzo made the match competitive but ultimately left Ecuador empty-handed.
🚨 LDU Quito shock league leaders Defensa y Justicia
The biggest result of the round came at Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado.
LDU Quito demolished Defensa y Justicia 4–1.
The rankings make the result even more remarkable:
LDU Quito — 4th
Defensa y Justicia — 1st
The Group D leaders suffered a heavy defeat against one of their closest competitors.
LDU's four-goal performance was an emphatic statement from a team chasing promotion. Not only did they take three points, they also handed the league leaders a damaging defeat.
For Defensa y Justicia, the 4–1 loss is undoubtedly the result they will want to forget quickly.
⭐ This is our Match of the Round.
A top-four showdown ended with LDU scoring four times against the team sitting at the summit. That's a major statement in the promotion race.
Independiente del Valle hold Deportivo Táchira
At Estadio Banco Guayaquil, Independiente del Valle and Deportivo Táchira drew 2–2.
Independiente entered the match ranked 24th, while Táchira were ranked 5th.
Táchira will probably see this as two points dropped.
The 5th-ranked Venezuelan side had a chance to strengthen its position in the promotion-playoff places but instead had to settle for a single point.
Independiente del Valle, meanwhile, can be pleased with taking a point from a team sitting 19 places higher.
Metropolitanos defeat Zamora
Metropolitanos FC defeated Zamora FC 2–1 at Olympic Stadium in Caracas.
This was a very important result at the top of Group D.
Metropolitanos entered the game ranked 1st, while Zamora were 21st.
The league leaders did exactly what a team chasing automatic promotion needs to do: take care of business against a lower-ranked opponent.
After seeing Defensa y Justicia lose heavily to LDU, Metropolitanos' victory becomes even more valuable.
The leaders were tested, but they secured all three points.
Fénix win the battle of 12th vs. 13th
At Estadio Parque Capurro, Centro Atlético Fénix defeated Municipal Pérez Zeledón 3–2.
Fénix entered the match ranked 14th, while Pérez Zeledón were 13th.
This was a closely matched battle in the middle-lower section of the standings, and Fénix came out on top in another five-goal thriller.
The result gives Fénix an opportunity to climb toward the cup qualification positions, while Pérez Zeledón missed the chance to create more distance from the teams below them.
Blooming defeat San Carlos
At Estadio Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera, Blooming defeated A.D. San Carlos 2–1.
Blooming entered the fixture ranked 2nd, while San Carlos were 8th.
This was another important promotion battle.
Blooming were already occupying one of the strongest positions in Group D, while San Carlos were firmly inside the promotion-playoff zone.
The victory allows Blooming to maintain pressure near the top of the table while simultaneously denying San Carlos three valuable points.
For San Carlos, the defeat means they will need to bounce back quickly to protect their top-nine position.
Bucha and Lempira play out thrilling draw
Bucha FC and Lempira FC drew 3–3 at Yuvileinyi Stadium.
Bucha entered the match ranked 18th, with Lempira ranked 19th.
Neither side could gain the advantage despite six goals being scored.
For two teams in the lower half of the table, the point may ultimately prove useful. But both will probably feel that this was an opportunity to claim three points against a direct competitor.
Anderlecht edge Dandy
At Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, R.S.C. Anderlecht defeated C.D. Dandy 2–1.
Anderlecht entered the match ranked 17th, while Dandy were 10th.
This was a valuable victory for Anderlecht against a side sitting directly on the edge of the Friendly Cup qualification position.
Dandy's 10th-place status makes this an especially important missed opportunity. A victory would have strengthened their grip on the Friendly Cup spot, but Anderlecht instead took all three points.
Canon Yaoundé and CD Choloma draw
Canon Yaoundé and CD Choloma finished 2–2 at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium.
Canon entered the game ranked 16th, while Choloma were 20th.
It was another closely fought lower-table encounter.
Canon will be happier with the point against a team below them, although neither side made the significant jump up the table that a victory would have provided.
Puntarenas shock Genk
The final match of Round 13 produced another notable upset.
At Cegeka Arena, K.R.C. Genk lost 3–2 to Puntarenas F.C.
Genk entered the fixture ranked 9th, placing them inside the promotion-playoff positions, while Puntarenas were ranked 23rd.
This is a damaging defeat for Genk.
The Belgian side had a valuable opportunity to strengthen its position inside the top nine, but instead surrendered three points to a team near the bottom of the standings.
For Puntarenas, however, this could be a season-defining victory.
📊 Round 13 Results
| Match | Result | Key Story |
|---|---|---|
| AIK Fotboll vs Club Plaza Colonia | 4–2 | AIK win bottom-table battle |
| Aeldals IK vs Bentín Tacna Heroica | 2–1 | 🚨 Major upset |
| Arameisk-Syrianska IF vs Cartaginés | 3–2 | Arameisk defeat top-seven Cartago |
| Mushuc Runa vs San Lorenzo | 2–1 | Mushuc protect playoff position |
| LDU Quito vs Defensa y Justicia | 4–1 | ⭐ LDU crush the leaders |
| Independiente del Valle vs Deportivo Táchira | 2–2 | Táchira drop points |
| Metropolitanos FC vs Zamora FC | 2–1 | Leaders get the job done |
| Centro Atlético Fénix vs Municipal Pérez Zeledón | 3–2 | Fénix win five-goal thriller |
| Blooming vs A.D. San Carlos | 2–1 | Blooming strengthen 2nd place |
| Bucha FC vs Lempira FC | 3–3 | Six-goal draw |
| R.S.C. Anderlecht vs C.D. Dandy | 2–1 | Anderlecht defeat 10th place |
| Canon Yaoundé vs CD Choloma | 2–2 | Lower-table sides share points |
| K.R.C. Genk vs Puntarenas F.C. | 2–3 | 🚨 Puntarenas stun Genk |
🏆 The Promotion Race Takes Another Twist
The biggest story of Round 13 is unquestionably the battle at the top.
Metropolitanos entered the round in 1st place and won. That is exactly what they needed to do.
But Defensa y Justicia, who entered 1st according to the fixture ranking, were hammered 4–1 by LDU Quito. Meanwhile, Blooming, LDU Quito, and Mushuc Runa all secured victories against teams positioned lower in the standings.
The result is a fascinating fight for the automatic promotion position.
And remember, finishing 1st is much more valuable than simply making the top nine. The first-place team goes directly to League II, while positions 2–9 must go through the promotion playoffs.
That makes every point at the summit enormously important.
🔥 Upset of the Round: Aeldals 2–1 Bentín
While LDU Quito's victory was the most important result involving the top of the table, Aeldals' 2–1 victory over 3rd-ranked Bentín Tacna Heroica gets our Upset of the Round award.
A 22nd-ranked team defeating a 3rd-ranked promotion contender is exactly the kind of result that can shake up a 50-round season.
Puntarenas' 3–2 victory over 9th-ranked Genk deserves an honorable mention.
⭐ Round 13 Team of the Round: LDU Quito
LDU Quito were outstanding.
A 4–1 victory over the league-leading Defensa y Justicia isn't just three points—it is a declaration of intent.
LDU entered the match ranked fourth and left having demonstrated that they have the quality to challenge for the very top of Group D.
If they can reproduce this kind of performance consistently, the race for automatic promotion could become extremely interesting.
Looking Ahead
Round 13 leaves Group D with plenty of questions.
Can Metropolitanos maintain their position at the top? Can LDU Quito turn their huge victory over the leaders into a sustained promotion challenge? Will Blooming continue pushing toward the automatic promotion spot?
And perhaps most importantly, can the teams currently occupying the 2nd–9th positions protect their places from challengers coming from behind?
There are still 37 rounds remaining, so nothing is decided. But Round 13 has provided another reminder that Group D is incredibly unpredictable.
The leaders can fall. The outsiders can win. And every three points could eventually determine who goes up to League II.
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