Dempo finished an astounding 11 points ahead of second-placed Churchill Brothers in this edition of the tournament. An estimated 30,000 watched Dempo celebrate their triumph in Shillong in the penultimate round but none of them had a smile on their face as the defeat pushed Shillong Lajong closer towards relegation. Dempo showed no dip in their form despite allowing star striker Sunil Chhetri to leave midway for the United States for a stint with Kansas City Wizards in the Major League Soccer.
