Olympia fire up as leaders held

Olympia Munchen fired six past hapless Toronto Athletic in round 7 of the 2023/24 Global Premier Football League, while league leaders, Union Buenos Aires, needed a late, late equaliser in Los Angeles to remain unbeaten. 

Teams from Europe and South America dominate the top five spots, but North America is also well represented in the top half as the league continues to take shape over the opening months.

ROUND 7 ROUND-UP

After three weeks on the road, Olympia made a welcome return to the Allianz Arena, and into the embrace of their home fans. The scoring didn’t begin until after Athletic had, again, been reduced to ten men. The red card, shown to Rodrigo Batista for a late challenge on Andre Peters, was the visitors’ fourth in seven games. The lack of discipline is hampering Toronto’s start to the season, and it wasn’t long before Peters made them pay with a double inside the next five minutes. Athletic received a life-line, courtesy of an own goal, but Artur Maldonado restored Olympia’s lead within a minute. Peters rammed home two second half headers, taking his tally for the season to ten goals, before a late close range finish from substitute, Borje Lindqvist, wrapped up the scoring.

London City FC moved level with Union at the top of the table after a narrow win at CF Azteca. Anthony Mears‘ pile-drive, six minutes before half time, proved to be the difference in a game where neither team really got going. Azteca was generally very good defensively, but didn’t create enough to deserve anything from the game.

Union had substitute, Elian Corral, to thank for taking a share of the points at LA Icons. The youngster, only in the squad due to the suspension of talisman Rico Cocci, finished expertly two minutes into added time. Diego Santander, Cocci’s direct replacement, opened the scoring early, but LA ripped the visitors apart over the following half hour or so. A curling, dipping, long ranger from full back, Gerardo Gonzalez, was the pick of LA’s three goals. But Union never lie down. Gabriel Blazquez pulled one back with eight minutes left, before Corral stole the show on debut.

Eternal Roma and Esportivo Rio moved into the top five after narrow wins. Eternal traded four first half goals with Tokyo-Yokohama United before Dante Montalto won it for the Romans with 14 minutes remaining. Rio also needed a late winner to get past a resilient Marina Bay Flyers. Substitute, Xabier Ballester got the job done with a tidy finish from a tight angle.

Paris Metro slipped down the table after being held in Cairo. It was a second consecutive goalless draw for Metro, and third stalemate in a row, but al-Qāhirah Stars were well worth their point.

Ciudad de Madrid and New York Capitals both kept clean sheets in victories that moved them onto ten points. Madrid were another side that benefitted from a late winner, substitute Felix Turcios stepping up against Hong Kong Traders with two minutes left. The Capitals were altogether more comfortable, thanks to Samuel Fernandes‘ second half double, in their victory over Johannesburg Rush.

Emirates United are flying up the table after their second win in as many weeks. Two first half goals from Patrido Lavezzi and Guilherme de Freitas ultimately proved to be enough against Constantinople FC.

Harbour City also scored twice in the first half, before holding on for the three points, in what was their third victory of the season. Centre back, Dan Braands, scored probably the goal of the season so far – an acrobatic bicycle kick from outside the box – to set his side on the way to their win over Shanghai Pearl.

CURRENT STANDINGS

UPCOMING FIXTURES

GPFL STAT ATTACK

AL-QAHIRAH STARS

CF AZTECA

CIUDAD DE MADRID

CONSTANTINOPLE FC

ESPORTIVO RIO

ETERNAL ROMA

HARBOUR CITY

HONG KONG TRADERS

LA ICONS

LONDON CITY FC

MARINA BAY FLYERS

NEW YORK CAPITALS

PARIS METROPOLE

SHANGHAI PEARL

TOKYO YOKOHAMA UNITED

TORONTO ATHLETIC