City stumble

A Guilherme de Freitas goal not long after half time put London City FC‘s title celebrations on ice, sending the Global Premier Football League’s leaders to a shock defeat that cut their lead to four points with two games to go.

The chasers, South American duo Union Buenos Aires and Esportivo Rio, did what they needed to do too, both picking up hard fought wins on the road to keep their still-slim hopes alive.

At the bottom, another narrow win for Toronto Athletic pulled them within a point of nineteenth and gave the Canadians real hope of avoiding the wooden spoon. Can they continue their recent run right to the end of the season? 

ROUND 36 ROUND-UP

London City would have been hopeful of tying up the GPFL title at Emirates United, but a below par performance, which was met by a gritty effort from United, threw their plans into mild chaos. City did create chances, but the best of the day fell to de Freitas eight minutes after the break and he buried it without any fuss. 

City still have two more games from which to claim the crown, but their next assignment is a tricky trip to in-form Toronto. What looked like a doddle now appears to be filled with potential pitfalls.

Union and Esportivo both picked up the wins they needed to keep the heat on at the top.

Rico Cocci‘s double, taking him to 36 goals for the season, proved the difference for Union at New York Capitals, who had taken an early lead through Dennis Velez.

Esportivo left it late, but substitute Xabier Ballester smashed home in the 91st to give his side the victory at Harbour City. It was the Sydneysiders’ first defeat since January 24, and means they can now finish no higher than fourth.

Eternal Roma slipped past Olympia Munich into fifth after their win over Shanghai Pearl and an Olympia draw with Tokyo Yokohama United. Dante Montalto‘s superb long range effort just after the hour mark ensured victory for Roma, while Richard Casey‘s hat trick in Munich ensured the visitors claimed a point from an open, entertaining encounter.

Costa Rican Yahir Pantoja struck his first goal of the season to seal another narrow win for Toronto Athletic and move them ever so closer to catching the rest of the pack. CF Azteca struggled to trouble the supremely well organise visitors.

In other games, a Ranieri Lettiere header on the hour handed Ciudad de Madrid victory over Paris Metro, while two goals inside the opening half hour ensured Marina Bay Flyers bagged their eleventh win of the campaign.

In another single goal game, Manuel Takeda scored ten minutes after the break to give al-Qahirah Stars their narrow win over a Johannesburg Rush side that now sit well within range of Toronto Athletic at the bottom. LA Icons and Constantinople FC shared the points in the City of Angels.

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