London go top as Union held

London City FC have made it four wins from their opening four Global Premier Football League games with a comfortable Wembley win over over their visitors from Sydney. They move top, as the only team with a 100% record, thanks largely to a moment or two of madness from Union Buenos Aires.

Paris Metro and Olympia Munchen both got back to winning ways during round 4, while Marina Bay Flyers and Emirates United continue to struggle. Only a month into the season, the table seems to be taking shape. Or is it? You’ll find out in the weeks to come.

ROUND 4 ROUND-UP

London City have gone quietly about their business so far this season, but they made short work of Harbour City on Wednesday evening, sending a message to the other nineteen teams. The match was all but over by the half hour thanks to goals from Mark Ives, Joseph Texier and Jeroen de Rijck, as City cruised to a solid three points. The visitors’ late consolation goal, from their only shot on target the entire evening, barely made an impact.

Union seemed to be cruising to a comfortable, if narrow victory at Johannesburg Rush, but some late chaos gave the hosts a point and left the Argentinians scrambling to avoid defeat. Samuel Peralta smashed home the opener before half time to give his team a deserved lead. Idoia Blanco was needlessly sent off eleven minutes from time before substitute, Max Solano, turned the ball into his own net eight minutes later. Solano then lashed out two minutes into added time to see red, before Artur Santana missed a great chance from close range with the last kick of the match, which would have given the Rush an unlikely three points. To make matter worse, Rico Cocci, was booked again and is now one yellow card away from a suspension.

Metro and Olympia both kept clean sheets in achieving solid victories. The Parisians scored early and late, through Ulrich Mosconi and Alberto dos Santos, against visiting Constantinople FC, while Olympia, thanks to two quick fire goals in the final 20 minutes, easily did for bottom side, Emirates United. Andre Peters‘ early strike was his fourth of the season for Olympia, while Artur Maldonado picked up a couple of assists to take his tally to five for the season. The goal for Metro’s dos Santos was his fifth of a fruitful campaign, to go with three assists.

LA Icons stayed unbeaten but will feel they dropped two points in being held in Hong Kong. After recovering from an early deficit to lead at the break, LA were pegged back by centre-back Mason Bond‘s second goal of the season. A late penalty award seemed to have given the visitors victory, but leading scorer, Bjorn Goudier, blazed his effort wide. Adalberto Cortes‘ assist for LA’s opener was his seventh of the season already. They’re coupled with four goals, including the second in this match.

In the far east, both Tokyo-Yokohama United and Shanghai Pearl picked up their first wins of the season. United moved into the top half of the table thanks, in large part, to substitute Alessandro de Siqueira‘s late winner against Ciudad de Madrid. Ranieri Lettiere‘s goal, which briefly put Madrid in the lead, drew him level with Union’s Cocci at the top of the Golden Boot race. Shanghai survived a late scare to hold on for a narrow victory over fellow mid-table side, al-Qāhirah Stars.

Esportivo Rio moved into the top six following their second win of the season, in the process ending New York Capitals‘ unbeaten run. Rodrigo Machado‘s goal just after the break ultimately proved to be the match-winner. In a round containing a heap of late drama, this match played its part. Rio went down to ten men thanks to Francisco Sanches‘ 82nd minute red card, before Greg Lockhart gave the Capitals hope four minutes later.

After a slow start to the season, Eternal Roma seem to be finding their feet. First half goals from Tommaso Baresi and Cristofer Ortiz, complemented by another clean sheet, saw the Romans jump past their opponents, CF Azteca, and into the top seven on the table.

Maxence Remy was the hero for Toronto Athletic as they edged a close game against winless Marina Bay Flyers. Remy’s goal in the final quarter of the match gave Athletic their first win of the season, while leaving the Flyers stuck in the bottom two.

CURRENT STANDINGS

UPCOMING FIXTURES

GPFL STAT ATTACK

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