Three horse race to the end

Can we call this a three horse race for the inaugural Global Premier Football League title?

Realistically, yes, as fourth placed Harbour City seems just too far behind top spot with just six games remaining. London City FC appear relentless. Esportivo Rio, with their talisman back in harness, look formidable. With fourteen goals in their last four games, Union Buenos Aires seem well past their recent slump.

Will all three will power home to the finish line? Can City be caught, or have the other two given themselves too much to do? How many twists and turns remain? We’ll find out over the next few weeks. In the meantime, here’s how the latest round of games unfolded.

ROUND 32 ROUND-UP

The top four all won their round 32 fixtures in what was a round of games not entirely without upsets. London City and Harbour City both won on the road, while the South American giants picked up relatively comfortable victories in front of rabid home crowds.

London went two up early, through an own goal and a Birger Ingvartsen header, before Mark Ives prodded home their third in the second half on an afternoon where they appeared largely untroubled. Their opponents, Johannesburg Rush, pulled one back with five minutes left, but that was nothing more than a consolation. Heherson Morales‘ late sending off, for a second yellow card in five minutes, didn’t help the mood at FNB Stadium.

Rico Cocci bagged a hat trick inside the first 20 minutes to put Union’s match against CF Azteca to bed nice and early. The party atmosphere at the Monumental continued throughout, as the home side cruised to the end. In Rio, Rodrigo Machado gave Esportivo a 20th minute lead against Shanghai Pearl, before Caua Guedes sealed the deal 20 minutes from time.

Harbour City’s Cesare Angelo fired home a header in the final minute to finally break down New York Capitals‘ dogged resistance at MetLife Stadium. The Capitals were worth a point, but the visitors are in the habit of winning, totting up seven in a row.

Constantinople FC and Hong Kong Traders both picked up upset wins. In Istanbul, Aral Akkas‘ double condemned Olympia Munich to their fifth game without a win, to see them sink towards the chasing pack. Mark Evans struck just after the hour to nudge the Traders in front of Tokyo-Yokohama United, a lead they held on to with a solid defensive showing.

Eternal Roma, Paris Metro and Marina Bay Flyers all secured narrow wins to continue the jostle for places through the middle of the table, while Ciudad de Madrid and Emirates United ground out a goalless draw in Spain.

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