City on the brink

The top three all won during the latest round of the Global Premier Football League. London City FC have been relentless, moving ever closer to being crowned inaugural champions, while Esportivo Rio and Union Buenos Aires are hanging in there in the seemingly unlikely occurrence of a major slip by the leaders.

Upsets were at a premium. The better performed sides continued their jostle for finishing positions, and the lucrative purse that comes with finishing well, while the lower placed sides scrap to avoid being caught by an improving Toronto Athletic.

ROUND 34 ROUND-UP

London City churned out their 23rd victory of the 2023/24 GPFL campaign, scoring twice during the first half then squeezing Constantinople FC out of the contest. Mark Ives opened the scoring, on 20 minutes, before Verissimo Guerra slapped home his second of the season to double his side’s lead.

Okafo Akuchi was the provider of both goals, continuing his fine campaign with his thirteenth and fourteenth assists of the season. The City defensive effort was once again impressive, returning to form after last week’s hiccup against Union. Control of the ball and a suffocating press did for a gallant, but out-matched, Constantinople side, who remain third from bottom and not entirely safe from avoiding the wooden spoon.

Esportivo and Union both got home by a single goal, but their matches couldn’t have been more stark.

The Maracana was treated to a seven goal thriller as their side took on Hong Kong Traders. The hosts had built their lead to four goals not long into the second half. Rodrigo Marchado rattled home a first half hat trick, before Jose Caseres drilled home what would ultimately be the winner six minutes into the second half. The visitors began their attempted comeback just over twenty minutes from time. Mark Evans headed home the first of his fine late hat trick, with goals two and three coming near the end. Casey nearly completed it too, hitting the crossbar from halfway with the final kick of a breathtakingly contrasting match.

It was a different story in Toronto, as the resilient home side took an early lead through Maxence Remy against Union, and held on until five minutes into the second half. With Abel Orozco the orchestrator, Dantel Conti brought the visitors level, before Sebastiano Cruz edged them not long before the game entered its final quarter. Athletic pushed for the equaliser, but Union were too wily in defense.

Harbour City‘s chances of a top three finish appear all but over after being held to a draw in Madrid. Ciudad de Madrid went ahead just after the half hour, through Giovanni Beneventi, but the visitors were level seven minutes later. Patrik Terzic‘s tenth goal of the season look set to be the launch pad for his team’s ninth win in a row, but their performance trailed off after the break.

Olympia Munich maintained fifth spot, two points ahead of Eternal Roma, after a scrappy win in New York. Gunter Walter and Andre Peters struck for Olympia during the opening seven minutes of the second half to secure a solid advantage. Greg Lockhart pulled one back for the New York Capitals right on time. Dante Montalto scored the only goal of the game as Roma won at al-Qahirah Stars.

Emirates United were held to their sixth draw in eight games, a run that has pretty well stalled their charge to the upper reaches of the table, while both Paris Metro and LA Icons won by the same margin. Tim Ludwig‘s double proved to be the difference at Shanghai Pearl, while Isaias Fernan‘s scorcher separated LA from cross border rivals, CF Azteca.

Richard Casey and Adrien De Koninck traded doubles as Tokyo-Yokohama United hosted Johannesburg Rush, but it was Casey’s supporting cast that helped separate United from their visitors in an open game in Japan’s capital city.

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