City clear after restart

London City FC and Union Buenos Aires both picked up where they left off prior to the GPFL Global Cup break. That was good news for City…and not so good news for Union. Esportivo Rio jumped up to second after the first Global Premier Football League restart round, five points behind the league leaders, while Union will need to arrest their slide if they are to remain in the title hunt.

The games will come think and fast, and with increasing importance, as we move through the final couple of months of the season. Will your favourite team maintain their form, or change it, to mount a challenge, or move away from the bottom of the table?

ROUND 27 ROUND-UP

Mark Ives‘ early strike was enough for London City, as they fended off a spirited challenge from a Shanghai Pearl outfit that was equally in need of points, if for different reasons. Ives latched on to Anthony Mears‘ eighth minute through ball to hammer home his 21st goal of the campaign, separating the two sides, and also, as things would turn out, separating City from the chasing pack.

Pearl gave a good account of themselves, as they needed to, but ultimately ended the match coming up short, as has often been the case this season.

The two South American clubs switched places on the table, after Union were upset at home by an improving Marina Bay Flyers side at the same time as Esportivo were easing past CF Azteca at the Maracana.

Boudewijn Tjaarts‘ late winner for the Flyers, a superbly struck free kick from all of 25 metres, silenced the Monumental and sent his team mates into raptures. The Flyers had looked positive throughout, taking the lead through Kay Kraus and seeming the more likely to find a winner after Rico Cocci‘s equaliser. It took a moment of magic, when easier opportunities had been spurned, to get the Flyers over the line.

Esportivo took full advantage of the golden chance they were handed. Goals from Diogo Araujo and Rodrigo Machado inside 20 minutes effectively settled the contest. There was no further addition to the score line, despite the wealth of possession and opportunities that came Rio’s way against a surprisingly flat Azteca performance.

Olympia Munchen, Harbour City and LA Icons all picked up solid victories to maintain spots in the top six.

Eternal Roma and Ciudad de Madrid also won to keep on the coat tails of the teams above. Davor Drazenovic‘s hat trick sealed the points for Roma against Paris Metro, while Madrid’s superstar centre forward, Ranieri Lettiere, hit a double at Constantinople FC.

The other two games were drawn. Emirates United dropped a spot after being held at New York Capitals, while Toronto Athletic put up the shutters against Tokyo Yokohama United to snare a point from a goalless draw. Athletic still sit bottom, however, eight points off CF Azteca and Shanghai Pearl.

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