Round 23 of the League III 2026 season delivered another busy set of matches in Group A, with plenty of goals and several important results for the promotion and cup qualification races.
With 50 rounds in the season, there is still a long way to go, but every point is becoming increasingly important. The current structure sees 1st place earn direct promotion to League II, while 2nd–9th enter the promotion playoffs. 10th qualifies for the Friendly Cup, while 11th–12th qualify for the King's Cup. There is no relegation from League III.
Toronto FC Holds on in a Seven-Goal Thriller
Toronto FC 4–3 Coquimbo Unido
The round opened with a spectacular seven-goal contest. Toronto FC, listed in 1st place, defeated 9th-place Coquimbo Unido 4–3.
Toronto's victory allows the league leaders to collect another three points in their pursuit of the automatic promotion position. Coquimbo, meanwhile, remains inside the 2nd–9th promotion-playoff zone, despite suffering the narrow defeat.
Atlético Ottawa Beats Cobresal
Atlético Ottawa 2–1 Cobresal
Atlético Ottawa picked up an important home victory against Cobresal, winning 2–1.
Ottawa entered the match in 16th place, outside the current promotion-playoff positions, while Cobresal was 10th. The result gives Ottawa valuable momentum as it attempts to climb the table, while Cobresal will be looking to protect its position in the Friendly Cup zone.
Viking FK Comes From Behind Against AZ Alkmaar
AZ Alkmaar 2–3 Viking FK
One of the round's notable comebacks came in the Netherlands. AZ Alkmaar, ranked 18th, fell 3–2 to 10th-place Viking FK.
The result is particularly significant for Viking, which is sitting just outside the top-nine promotion-playoff positions. A run of positive results could put the Norwegian club into contention for the playoff places.
Excelsior Defeats FC Köln
Excelsior Rotterdam 2–1 FC Köln
Excelsior Rotterdam earned a 2–1 victory over FC Köln.
Excelsior entered the match in 20th place, while Köln was 24th. Both clubs are outside the promotion and cup qualification positions, making the three points especially useful as they look to move upward during the remaining rounds.
Heerenveen and Union Berlin Share the Points
SC Heerenveen 3–3 FC Union Berlin
The highest-scoring draw of the round saw SC Heerenveen and FC Union Berlin finish 3–3.
Heerenveen came into the game in 15th place, while Union Berlin was sitting in 13th. Neither team was able to take the full three points, but the six-goal match provided both clubs with a point toward their attempts to climb the standings.
Casa Sports Holds RB Leipzig
Casa Sports 2–2 RB Leipzig
Another entertaining draw saw Casa Sports and RB Leipzig finish 2–2.
Casa Sports entered Round 23 in 11th place, putting them in the King's Cup qualification zone, while Leipzig was 17th and outside the playoff places. The draw leaves Casa with an opportunity to remain in the upper portion of the table, although a win would have been more valuable.
Big Win for AS Dakar Sacré-Coeur
AS Dakar Sacré-Coeur 4–1 Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao
AS Dakar Sacré-Coeur produced one of the most convincing performances of the round, defeating Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao 4–1.
Dakar entered the match in 7th place, firmly inside the promotion-playoff zone. The three points strengthen its position among the teams chasing the second promotion opportunity.
Guangzhou, meanwhile, remains down in 19th.
Shandong Luneng Wins Away
ASCE La Linguère 2–3 Shandong Luneng Taishan
Shandong Luneng Taishan earned a hard-fought 3–2 away victory over ASCE La Linguère.
Shandong was 9th entering the match, meaning the three points are particularly valuable for its position in the promotion-playoff places. La Linguère, ranked 23rd, remains outside the qualification positions.
Akron Tolyatti Defeats Chaco Petrolero
FC Akron Tolyatti 2–1 Chaco Petrolero
FC Akron Tolyatti picked up a 2–1 victory over Chaco Petrolero.
Akron entered the game in 12th place, just outside the top-nine playoff positions and currently occupying a King's Cup spot. Chaco Petrolero was 4th and therefore surrendered valuable ground in the promotion race.
Dynamo Moscow and Palestino Draw
Dynamo Moscow 2–2 Club Deportivo Palestino
Dynamo Moscow and Club Deportivo Palestino played to a 2–2 draw.
Palestino, ranked 22nd, picked up an important point, while Dynamo remained near the bottom of the standings. Neither side could secure the three points needed to make a major move up the table.
CSKA Moscow Produces a Five-Goal Performance
PFC CSKA Moscow 5–2 Deportes Iquique
One of the biggest results of Round 23 came in Moscow, where PFC CSKA Moscow defeated Deportes Iquique 5–2.
CSKA entered the match in 25th place, while Iquique was 5th and firmly involved in the promotion-playoff battle. The result therefore represents a major opportunity for Iquique lost, while CSKA takes a much-needed three points.
Audax Italiano Beats Pirata FC
Pirata FC 2–4 Audax Italiano
Audax Italiano produced a strong away performance, defeating Pirata FC 4–2.
This was a particularly important match near the top of the standings. Pirata entered Round 23 in 2nd place, while Audax was 6th, meaning both clubs were inside the promotion-playoff zone.
The six-goal contest ultimately went Audax's way, giving the Chilean club three valuable points in the battle for the top positions.
Raja Casablanca Wins a Close Match
Raja 3–2 Defence Force
Raja completed the round's action with a 3–2 victory over Defence Force.
The result was significant at the top end of the table. Raja entered the match in 8th place, while Defence Force was 3rd. Both clubs occupy promotion-playoff positions, making this another important result in the race for the second promotion opportunity.
Round 23 Promotion Picture
Round 23 featured several matches directly involving teams currently positioned in the promotion race.
Toronto FC continued its campaign from 1st place, the only position that guarantees direct promotion to League II. Behind them, the playoff battle remains crowded, with teams such as Pirata FC, Defence Force, Chaco Petrolero, Iquique, Audax Italiano, AS Dakar Sacré-Coeur, Raja and Coquimbo Unido all positioned around the top nine.
The biggest movement-related results included:
- Toronto FC 4–3 Coquimbo Unido – Toronto protects 1st place while Coquimbo remains in the playoff picture.
- Audax Italiano 4–2 Pirata FC – Audax takes three points from a direct top-end matchup.
- Raja 3–2 Defence Force – Raja wins another important promotion-zone battle.
- CSKA Moscow 5–2 Deportes Iquique – Iquique drops points despite entering the match in 5th.
- AS Dakar Sacré-Coeur 4–1 Guangzhou – Dakar strengthens its position in the top nine.
- Shandong Luneng 3–2 ASCE La Linguère – Shandong maintains its place inside the playoff zone.
The Qualification Picture
| Position | Qualification |
|---|---|
| 1st | 🟢 Direct promotion to League II |
| 2nd–9th | 🟢 Promotion playoffs |
| 10th | 🟡 Friendly Cup |
| 11th–12th | 🏆 King's Cup |
| 13th–50th | League III |
| Bottom positions | No relegation |
With 27 rounds still remaining, the League III Group A table is far from settled. Round 23 showed just how quickly the promotion-playoff picture can change, particularly with several teams separated by relatively small margins.
Round 24 will bring another opportunity for the teams chasing promotion, the playoff places and the two cup qualification zones to make their move.
0 comments:
Post a Comment