Union & City five clear

Twenty rounds in to the first Global Premier Football League season, and the top two sides can only be separated by goal difference. Union Buenos Aires and London City FC have set the standard through the first half of the season, and both teams won again as they entered the second half of the campaign. Esportivo Rio, Olympia Munchen and LA Icons all dropped points and lost ground.

ROUND 20 ROUND-UP

Returning superstar, Ricco Cocci, scored what turned out to be the winner for Union less than ten minutes into his return from injury. Richard Casey, on his own return from injury for Tokyo-Yokohama United, scored late on to set up a potentially nervous finish for the visitors.

Union are on a solid run of form and, welcoming back Cocci this week after Sebastiano Cruz‘s return from suspension last week, puts them in a prime state for the remainder of their season. Dantel Conti‘s opening goal of the match was worth the price of admission.

Goals from Joseph Texier and Okafo Akuchi set London City on the road to another efficient victory, this time over the Icons. Luke Rees whipped in a couple of delicious balls for assists on both goals, while the visitors struggled to click in the attacking third.

Esportivo found themselves two down inside the opening half hour against Paris Metro, but recovered to take a share of the points. Metro’s dynamic duo, Alberto dos Santos and Tim Ludwig, scored the goals for the visitors, while Rodrigo Machado and Xabier Ballester got Rio back on level terms. Metro showed great resilience to hold on after being reduced to ten men eleven minutes from time.

Flavio Van Overstraeten‘s 44th minute header won the game for al-Qāhirah Stars over a frustrated Olympia Munchen, who lost pace with the top three, slipping nine points behind the top two. Once they had their goal the Stars, as has been the case at time this season, proved impossible for a visiting team to break down.

Ciudad de Madrid picked up a much needed win over Eternal Roma. Ranieri Lettiere, another Golden Boot contender back in GPFL action after an injury lay-off, scored the goal that separated the sides on the half hour. The loss stopped Roma from jumping into the top five.

Harbour City and Emirates United both secured wins that kept them comfortably inside the top half of the table.

Geert-Jan de Walle‘s hat trick won the game for City, after Marina Bay Flyers had taken and early lead, while United did it tough against a luckless Hong Kong Traders outfit. Iweobiegbulam Halimnye‘s fine strike on the hour was ultimately the difference.

New York Capitals jumped ahead of Johannesburg Rush in the standings after the two sides’ results.

The Capitals edge their encounter with CF Azteca thanks to Greg Lockhart’s 77th minute winner while, after a good recent run, the Rush stumbled in Shanghai. Goals from Albert-Jan Stroek and Diogo Esteves helped Shanghai Pearl to a much needed victory.

Bottom side, Toronto Athletic, scrambled a point at home to Constantinople FC. Kleber Barros put the hosts ahead, but Ralf Ziegler got the visitors back on terms eight minutes into the second half.

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