Pistolas FC 2011

MARKHAM - He is creative not only on the pitch, but in his costumes as well.

That's right fans, Pistolas FC Captain Charles Eppich, pulled off another fantastic costume this year, replicating the short and stubby former Argentina great Diego Maradonna.


He went all out too, finding a pair of old cleats that he drilled two holes large enough to slip them on up to his knees, to capture the stature of Argentina's latest coach.

Using a box painted with a soccer field, walking became very difficult, and stairs were impossible.

His hit costume even won a digital camera prize at The Duchess. Congrats Captain Chuck!

TORONTO - Talented sweeper Rocco Picheca confirmed his return in 2010 as the sweeper of Pistolas FC.

Plagued by injury for most of the 2009, the team knows exactly what he can produce when he's healthy, and the lengthy off season should help.

More importantly, the additions of new players on defence not only adds depth to the team, but relieves the demands and strains felt by Rocco, Luch, and Matt Dookie.

TORONTO - Age appears nothing but a number for the beloved Captain of Pistolas FC Charles Eppich, as he continues to score goals in limited games, and remains the All-Time Goalscorer.

In fact he scored 2 goals in the finals to bring his 2009 tally to 6 and his all-time tally to 12.

But his absence from the roster during the Toronto Cup - an absence not brought on by availability - left many teammates and fans wondering about the status of our fearless leader.

Sidelined throughout the year with a number of injuries and ailments, Captain Chuck suffered from Vetigo to a hurting Sciatic Nerve to a case of injured knees and both ankles.

With plenty of years left in him, Charles, or 'Carla' as he's affectionately known as, plans on playing in 2010 and has put the thought of retirement on the backburner - for now.

He intends to recover over the lengthy offseason, missing training and any other tournaments until May of next year rolls around.

TORONTO - Pistolas FC are holding their heads high after a highly competitive tournament run in the Toronto Cup on the weekend.

Originally set to play in the Men's Over 30 Division, the team was caught off guard on match day that instead they were slotted into the Men's Open Age 2nd Division.

The first match saw Pistolas FC play GU, the Celtic clad team, who despite their older age, were a dominant force throughout the tournament, and physical to boot. Sporting characters who could pass as stunt doubles for Sean Connery and Rod Stewart, the team played a hard fought game. But this Pistolas team was up for the challenge, and held their own until a late goal on a confusing substitution left a Celtic player open for a shot. The final result was 1-0 GU.

In the second game, PFC played the 20 something, Soccer Centre, Indoor Champions FC Bada Bing, who despite their trickery scored only one good goal; their first. They then scored a lucky second before Eddy Meguerian scored to bring the team within 1. From there on, Pistolas FC brought on waves of pressure and forced FC Bada Bing to defend. Finally in the last minute with all PFC players forward looking for the tying goal, FC Bada Bing got a lucky counterattack, and an even luckier finish. After that the whistle went, and the game ended 3-1.

The third game of the day was the first of a double header, and saw Pistolas FC play another 20 something team, in the Chelsea clad team of the Centurions. Midfielder 'Jules' arrived just in time for this game. Pistolas FC dominated the entire game, rarely conceding a chance in their own end. They had a number of shots, and chances throughout the game, until Jules craftily redirected a corner kick into the net to put PFC up 1-0. Harry, on loan from Tom's 76ers, had a blistering shot in this game that just sailed wide of the far post, and was quite the highlight this game. The game ended 1-0 in favour of Pistolas FC and gave them a chance at the playoffs.

Needing a win to help boost their chances of advancing, Pistolas FC faced their greatest challenge yet in the second game of their doubleheader; the 18 and 19 year old Toronto Cup Spring Champion team of Braga Contracting. Early in spring this team won the Open Age Tournament, and received the Miami South beach championship prize. Fighting for their lives, they held Braga in check and the game was evenly played. There were chances on both ends and in this match Braga Contracting was lucky to escape with a 1-0 win. PFC needed a tie at least to help their chances, but were denied.

A break in the schedule allowed players to finally grab some food, and rest up, and also saw the departure of Nigel, Harry and Colin. Nigel had provided some solid defensive play throughout and would be an awesome addition to the outdoor team if he chose to join. Many PFC regulars were happy to have a guy who knew his position and played it well. Harry provided an extra spark up front but hurt his knee halfway through the tourney. His contributions helped make the team competitive all day. Colin was a welcomed addition at all positions and was also an important factor throughout the day.

Unfortunately the departure of these three, combined with the 'rest break,' food, the double header, and not playing in over 6 weeks, finally caught up with cast of PFC, with cold and tired lungs and legs left to do one more battle.

Against The Zat Knight, the team started strong, with Eddy Meguerian blasting a bullet into the top corner. But as the game dragged on, fatigue ensued, and Pistolas FC ended up on the losing end - again against a squad of 18 and 19 year olds.

All in all, it was a great tournament for the team. There were no blowouts, and the team had a chance to win or tie every game against top quality opponents. Considering the fact that these teams have played together for years, are much younger, are champions in there own right, and are more involved with the style and stamina needed for a small 7 a side indoor type game, the makeshift roster of 10 Pistolas regulars and 5 quality additions sure put up a fight.

Well done lads.

PASADENA - So, a bit behind schedule here, but we're finally solidified and our roster is ready to go. The inaugural season of Pistolas FC Pasadena will feature some top flight talent in the FASL.

Like our brothers at Pistolas FC Los Angeles, Pasadena decided to recruit a top goalie as someone to build the team around. And from what we've read from the Pistolas FC 2010 Toronto team, this seems to be a common theme; top goalies....(read more)

LOS ANGELES - Pistolas FC Los Angeles unveiled is long anticipated roster, naming its 11 starters and seven substitutes today, to great fanfare...read more...

TORONTO - The schedule has finally been released, and Pistolas FC find themselves in tough against the likes of teams like GU, The Zat Knight, alongside more well known teams such as Braga Contracting, Original 21 and the ever flashy FC Bada Bing.

GU and The Zat Knight are unknowns to the PFC organization, and as we've learned in our experience, never underestimate an opponent. They may prove to be contenders and must be played hard.

However, the other 3 teams are well known, and all bring considerable resumes as top flight teams.

First off we have Braga Contracting. Braga Contracting plays out of the Brampton Soccer League, in the Men's Division A, Indoor, 9 a side; one below the Premiership Division. They currently sit in 3rd out of 7 teams. But their involvement in the league for some time, coupled with their experience in playing on a smaller surface and a smaller team gives them certain advantages. They should produce some challenges this weekend, and PFC needs to shut down their goal scorers, notably #'s 2, 7, 16, and 21.

The Original 21's have been around for some time, and are best known for their 2nd place league finish in 2004, playing in Division 3 out of the TSSL. This team's cohesiveness has grown since then, and they'll be looking to continue their growth among higher division competition.

Lastly, the most skilled and connected team of FC Bada Bing, whose exploits on the You Tube clips below give a good indication of what to expect. Pistolas FC midfielder/defender Marcello Maiorano is no stranger to this team, having played them in an indoor finals.

Along with their fully decked out Fiorentina kits, this team has the colourful play to match. Their control, trickery, acute passing and riptide banana bullet goals, will definitely be something PFC players will have to crack down on, playing man to man defense and not allowing any shots.

They currently play at the Soccer Centre on Tuesday nights, and sit in 3rd place in Division 2. But don't let division 2 translate into something less than it is. Check out the skills of FC Bada Bing in these 2 clips.

MISSISSAUGA - This weekends Toronto-Mississauga Cup will now take place at the ICELANDS , and NOT the Hershey Centre as originally reported.

The ICELANDS MISSISSAUGA is located only one block south of the Hershey Centre and players and fans attending the tournament are advised to click on the 'View Larger Map' link, in order to plan out their driving route.

TORONTO - Pistolas FC Toronto made substantial additions to its tournament roster for next Saturday's Toronto-Mississauga Cup.

The biggest news splash came when the team inked 2007 MVP Eddy Meguerian, who had missed this entire year with a knee injury suffered in 2008. Eddy confirmed late Friday that he would play in the tourney, which immediately boosted the teams chances of competing at the highest levels.

Also, PFC was able to sign 3 players on loan from Tom's 76ers, Harry Konstandinidis, Nigel Branker, and Colin McNicol, for this tournament. PFC is hoping to have a look at these players during the tourney with hopes of adding them to the 2010 roster, though that reality may still seem some time away.

Harry, led all scorers in the MSL this past season, to become the 2009 Scoring Champion.

Colin McNicol, is no stranger to the Pistolas, as he played a few games in 2008, and was known for his creative use of 'Pizza Pizza' pizza boxes cut up into shinpads. He played well and was well liked at PFC, but his time with the club ended abruptly due to injury.

MONTEVIDEO - With only one game remaining in the schedule of the hardest qualifying continent in the world, the highly anticipated matchup of Uruguay vs. Argentina may boil down to the most crucial game in the history of international qualifiers. Not only because each team must win, but because an Ecuador win, will definitely seal the fate of one of them.

After 17 of the toughest matches, Argentina has regained 4th spot with 25 points heading into today's game, while Uruguay sit in sole possession of 5th with 24 points, and Ecuador in 6th with 23 points.


Naturally, a win or tie would be suffice for Argentina to advance, but their are only 4 spots to go around, while the 5th spot in South America will enter a playoff game against 3rd place in the CONCACAF region, most likely Costa Rica.

A Uruguay win over Argentina, however, would send them through, and leave Argentina with 25 points, and their fate in the boots of the Ecuadoreans, who, if they beat Chile, would end up with 26 points and take 5th spot.

A Uruguay tie and Ecuador win would also send the high altitude Andean nation back to the playoff picture.

Simply put, its a must win for Uruguay and Ecuador if either or both nations want to advance. A tie simply wont do.


In Uruguay's favour, they are playing at home, with a rabid crowd expected on hand, up against an Argentine team that has looked lacklustre throughout qualification, going on quite a losing skid of a few games. Their ties and wins have also not been convincing, needing 7 minutes of injury time at home to tie Ecuador. On Saturday they also barely scraped out a win against the bottom team Peru, and again needed what seemed like an unfair amount of injury time until they finally scored - at home. Uruguay on the other hand, held its own against a tough Ecuador side, and playing a tough drawn out game, were led by eventual winning goal scorer, Forlan, who will probably be the best player on the field come this afternoon. Diego Maradonna's experiment in the lineups, has left Messi without a steady partner, and has crippled his teams flow.


Ecuador on the other hand faces one of the strongest Chilean teams since the days of Marcello Salas and Ivan Zamorano. Led by young gunners, Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sanchez, and veteran Suarez, this Chilean side sealed their ticket to South Africa with a commanding 4-2 win on Saturday against Colombia - in Medellin! They sit on 30 points, and playing at home will surely want to win for the fans. Ecuador on the other hand will be severely missing some top players. Manchester United star Antonio Valencia, is out after earning a yellow card last game for 'over-celebrating' his goal. With two yellows over the course of a few games, that means he'll sit this one out - something Ecuador cannot afford. Also out is Christian Noboa, who had been a spark for the team on occasion. But with nothing to lose and a win to advance, you'll have to think the Ecuadoreans will leave everything on the line.

Ultimately, the most pressure lies on Argentina, a futbol powerhouse since the beginning of the World Cup. Ironically, Uruguay beat them in the inaugural World Cup in 1930 in the finals, to win the 1st World Cup; in the same Centenario Stadium where today's match will take place.

Can they do it again?

TORONTO - Just a month ago, Pistolas FC 2010 announced they would turn in their 'Duchess' jerseys at the end of 2009, and replace it with the 2009/10 Liverpool FC Phantom jerseys; the gorgeous gold foil numbering on the new, black jersey (in keeping with Pistolas FC colours).

Next thing you know, the website got overhauled, losing the orange and black feel, for a black and gold look. As we speak, the Pistolas FC Online Store is also undergoing big changes to the black and gold.

As big supporters of the Premiership's Liverpool FC club, the lads thought it'd be a great idea to add another dimension to games as well; the 12th man.

Tht's right, with an ever growing number of fans attending Pistolas FC games as the years go on, PFC would like to encourage a more boisterous and friendly group, willing to sing their lungs out, and support our boys in black from the sidelines, adding that 12th man on the pitch effect, to rally every depth of heart from our players when the going gets tough.

In fact, it will also be mandatory for players next year to know the song as well, and for the song to be blared at the start of games.

So here is the song with lyrics below, followed by fans singing it at a Liverpool FC game. Enjoy!

TORONTO - Pistolas FC officially announced their entry today, into the Toronto-Mississauga Cup scheduled for Saturday, October 24th, 2009.

After days of speculation and trying to meet the minimum roster numbers, the team has assembled a cast they feel is quite capable of playing a high octane, competitive brand of soccer.

"Our goal on the 24th, is to come here with a winning mentality, and give it our all each and every game. We're here looking to win. We know it won't be easy and that there are always plenty of teams out there that are good, but at the same token we need to give this roster the credit it deserves, and all these guys are skilled competitors with passion," said team Director Davidinho, who will be in Montreal scouting the weekend of the tournament.

The roster starts at the back with MVP Mark Cinerari in net. Romerinho, Eckelton, Harry, Steve, Matt Dookie, Marcello, Carlos, and Ivano round out the roster.

The cup tournament, put on by www.soccerresort.com, features major sponsors including Carlsberg, and Setanta Sports - a soccer channel known in other Soccer Resort tournaments, to broadcast some games.

MISSISSAUGA - While looking for one more player to proceed forward onto the Toronto-Mississauga Cup, Pistolas FC was able to sign Mississauga native and Pistolas FC midfield great, Carlos Quinto.

Unfortunately, on the same day as this great news, the team also learned that they'd be without Rob 'The Rocket' Pikula's services. The team had been looking forward to watching Rob blast his trademark shot in a smaller sized field, surely smacking some lackey who would learn next time to get out of the way!

But adding the skills of Carlos will also give them something to look forward to; the crafty, artistic, flair and give and go passing essential to a smaller field game - just don't let that boy play defence!

TORONTO - The first of the four new expansion clubs opened its doors today, as Pistolas FC Los Angeles unveiled their website and General Manager Steve Rodriguez took over the reins.

Steve will be reporting directly to Pistolas FC International President and CEO Romerinho, as well as Director Davidinho for support with his site.

For more on the PFC Los Angeles story, click here.

In relation to soccer specific training, the optimal goal is to have strong muscles for speed and overall endurance. Although upper body weight training for soccer is not as important, the need to train the upper body for overall strength and conditioning is essential.

For any sport-related leg workout, the consensus would suggest Squats as the cornerstone exercise. Begin with a warm up and then try to lift a weight that can be managed for at least twenty (20) repetitions. Take a deep breath and hold it as you descend until your hips are slightly lower than the top of your knees. At that point, fire off quickly to the full standing position and exhale. Ensure to rest for about 4 minutes between sets, completing 3 sets total. Alter the weight between sets based on the ease (or difficulty) of which you have completed the previous set, but making sure to push yourself for the entire routine.

Once you complete the squats, a common practice would include a combination of Leg Curls and Stiff-Legged Deadlifts for your hamstrings. Begin with the leg curl machine to complete 4 sets (15 reps) and incorporate 4 sets (15 reps) on the Stiff-Legged Deadlift in between each set of Leg Curls. Your hamstrings are very important to your overall speed. Make sure to stretch your hamstrings well between each set.

Finish off the leg routine with 3 sets (25 reps) of Standing Calf Raises, ensuring to maintain a high level of intensity which will contribute to improving your 'burst' on the field.

Players should ensure to provide 2 full days between leg training routines to allow for muscle development and avoidance of injury or negative effects from over-training.

Always remember that weight training routines are an important key in a soccer player's overall development and can lead to great improvements on the pitch.

TORONTO - One of the beauties of working at Pistolas FC is setting goals and records; then breaking them.

Rob Pikula set the Rookie Scoring record while at the same time setting the Season Record for goals with 10 in one season.

Captain Charles bounced back in the final game to pot two and send him clear of Wardo, and back into the All-Time Leading Scorer with 12.

But by far the behind the scenes work at www.pistolasfc.com has been incredible, and fans and avid readers alike flocked in droves to the site in September. Not only did they break the record for number of unique hits in a month on the site; they smashed it. They also incinerated the old 'unique hits in a week' record. And they fell just short of passing the greatest number of hits in a day record.

"It is incredible to see how the site has grown. If you scroll down to the bottom and look at our live map of visitors, we are read on every continent, bar Antartica, with a heavy following throughout. Brazilians are really digging the site, and I think the anticipation of the Pistolas FC Rio de Janiero is on their minds. In Australia we've also done well, garnering plenty of traffic from all the major cities; Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney," said Club President Romerinho.

"And although its very pleasing to get readers from big club soccer cities like Athens, Roma, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, Bogota, Liverpool, London, and Manchester, it is even more rewarding to know that some of our daily fans are from places like Kula Lumpur, Brunei, Odessa, Nagoya, Yakutsk, Odua, Tripoli, and Mountain View, USA."

"Pistolas FC - The Worlds Most Fabled Amateur Club (or at least we like to think so) is truly becoming a global brand, and this month of September where expansion finally came to fruition is a month that we'll never forget."

MARKHAM - What makes a Most Valuable Player?

Is it the stats they put up? Is it their never ending drive? Is it their will to succeed? Or their ability to lead?

Some say its all these things.

On this team, there are plenty of team players and leaders who have led on and off the field. Plenty of guys got stats. A good chunk showed a never ending, committed, drive. Some showed they had the will to succeed. And many guys lead by experience. Some played up to their potential. Some grew into even better players.

Yet, ultimately, there were only three who stood out as MVP candidates; Rob Pikula, Mark Cinerari, and 'Jules.'

Rob was the stats padder, and was deserving of the nomination because of the critical offense he provided game after game. Each game he gave the team a chance to win, not only with his goal scoring efforts, but his constant running and rocket kicks.

Mark Cinerari, last years MVP, may not have scored goals, but tended the net with a lot of fervour, and was called upon to do the unthinkable and stop the unstoppable in order to keep the team in it.

And Jules was the silent but strong midfielder, who though he didn't pad the score sheet, brought a higher set of skills, experience, and leadership to the team and created both on the offensive and defensive end. His work ethic on both ends was tireless, and his competitive edge driven.

But in the end, only one of these top three choices could win.

Mark Cinerari wins second consecutive Pistolas FC Most Valuable Player award.

It was a very tough voting session between these three, but in the end, no one faced more adversity yet rose to the challenge than Cinerari. Having to deal with a revolving door of defensemen, Cinerari was the last line of defense, and was called upon every game to dazzle once again with his saves. His saves stats were through the roof, and amid a rebuilding year of disarray, still managed to post 4 shutouts. He was committed night in and night out at each game, and led by his competitive hunger to stay in games and win. He was the saviour in many games, and always gave the team a chance; and thats why he's the most valuable player on the team once again.

Now, all the hardware has been handed out.

Congratulations Mark on winning the MVP for a second straight year.

TORONTO - After two years of spawning the Pistolas FC franchise idea, President and CEO Romerinho is excited to announce that after tireless emails and a few long distance web conferences, four new Pistolas FC Franchises are joining the global family of Pistolas FC International, and they are: Pistolas FC Los Angeles; Pistolas FC Pasadena; Pistolas FC Lagos; and Pistolas FC Mumbai.

"This is a huge day with massive implications for the Pistolas FC Organization. This expansion project to broaden our brand across the globe first started 2 years ago. Since back then I had been in contact with Steve Rodriguez from Los Angeles. He was eager a year later to get started, but took his due diligence in assembling a roster he felt was fit for joining the winning tradition of Pistolas FC. Steve has been trading emails and web conferencing with me for quite some time and shares the same passion as I do in running his own franchise."

"Next off, some of the executive members would recall early on this year I was contacted by Akamba Taiwo of Lagos, Nigeria, who also wanted to start a Pistolas FC franchise. To be more precise, he already had a team he owned and managed, but wanted to strengthen their position by aligning themselves with Pistolas FC and joining the global movement. Akamba, who spent 10 years in England before returning home, has already expressed how the affiliation with Pistolas FC International has helped draw interest and curiosity from so many in his area, that he expects to add some top recruits to his roster after the try outs he'll be holding."

With these two franchises in the works for quite some time, Romerinho felt content and as of last week was set to unveil these two new franchises. But in just under a week more developments progressed rapidly. After bugging a long time online soccer aficionado friend in India to start a franchise, Romerinho decided to move on and stopped his requests. Much to his surprise, Dinesh Patel of Mumbai, India, contacted him earlier this week to reveal his plans to form a Pistolas FC Mumbai franchise.

"Dinesh and I have been long time buddies in soccer forums; he a blind Man U fan, and I a knowledgeable Liverpool fan. However, it appears he doesn't lack all common sense, and I'm glad to see him come aboard. To be honest, I was caught quite off guard, especially as it came at a time when I was just about to release the news of the first two franchises. I had given up on Dinesh, but in the end all he needed was time. Engineering exams had bogged him down, but now he's done and has a roster ready to go. To be in both Africa (Lagos, Nigeria) and Asia (Mumbai, India) right off the bat speaks volumes also to how well the website has drawn in readers and interested franchise owners from across the globe."

Finally, and really with all credit to Steve Rodriguez here, I received an email through Steve from one of Steve's friends, Paul Lopez. Paul was sitting on a fence too long to join Steve's roster, and by the time he was committed, Steve already had too many guys. Not too worry, Paul's got cousins - A LOT of cousins. Paul quickly got them, his brothers, and a couple more friends to assemble a second Los Angeles team.

"When I read Paul's email, he told me he wanted to join and had a second Pistolas FC Los Angeles team ready to go. I responded by telling him that we're thrilled to have two teams in one city and encouraged more neighbourhoods to join as well. Unfortunately, one of our only rules is that you cant have more than one team with the same name, and we weren't going to call it Pistolas FC Los Angeles 2! So he got back to me with Pistolas FC Pasadena, a part of LA. It met the rules, and there you have it, within a matter of the last 5 days two new franchises were born. Once again, thanks to Steve Rodriguez who had laid the groundwork with Paul to make this come together so quickly."

The four general managers will be contributing to their respective websites, which should be completely done by the end of October, as well as making 'guest appearances' on the Pistolas FC main website. They will be reporting to club President and CEO Romerinho, and Vice President Charles Eppich.

Romerinho also noted that there has still been a long lingering franchise interest from parties in Dublin, Rio de Janeiro, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Montreal, and Calgary. The team hopes to continue expanding their brand into South America, Europe, and the Middle East, as well as growing their brand even more in Africa, Asia, and North and Central America.

A new Take the Tour and Join Section will be opening up on this site for any prospective owners of a FREE Pistolas FC franchise, check back for more details.

One thing is for sure, there will be plenty of new merchandise in the revamped store when it opens on October 17th, to reflect the new franchises.

As always, keep it locked at http://www.pistolasfc.com/ daily for the latest news.

STOUFFVILLE - Entering the 2009 season, there were many new faces, and a group of veterans who had been together since 2007 - the year they won the Championship.

And every year this core group has collective gotten better, despite injury and age. One of the plenty who have improved has been Captain Charles Eppich - the Danny Dichio of the team - who despite age, vertigo, a soreassiatic nerve, sprained ankles - both right and left - and foot problems, missed many games due to injury, yet still pushed his way through (literally) to score up until the final game.

Matt Dookie has also been an improvement on defense, though his quick to learn, fast, aggressive style grew in leaps and bounds from 2007-2008. His play has been solid and consistent, though he still continues to get better each game.

But in the end, only one roster player could win the award for most improved player; an award that has shown a commitment from season to season in fitness, and style of play which benefits the team.

Marcello Maiorano is this years Pistolas FC Most Improved Player of the Year.

"Marcy," as he's known on the field, went through an incredible transformation during the offseason, working on conditioning and strength training, with a heavy focus on cardio - an effort befit for a champion on the show 'The Biggest Loser.' He showed up at camp almost 30lbs lighter, and those rumours of bicep and pectoral implants were put to rest after muscling around opponents on the field.

In addition to this formidable change, or perhaps as a result of, Marcy was able to change his style of play, hustling more on his runs, offering powerful and mostly accurate crosses, playing his position, and playing defensively well. This was an incredible change for a man who last year would haul down opposing players who got by him drawing many a yellow and conceding free kicks and penalty shots. No, this Marcello was even tempered and thought of the team first. He didn't let guys blow by him, and overall his performance was night and day from 2008-2009.

His conditioning has been inspirational to many teammates, and should be a goal for all to follow.

Congratulations to Marcello 'Marcy' Maiorano on winning Pistolas FC Most Improved Player of the Year.

TORONTO - PistolasFC.com is ecstatic to announce a new partnership with one of the most trusted names in Sports; Bwin.com.

Famous for gracing the shirts of A.C. Milan and Real Madrid, bwin.com offers players an exciting place to place their bets - even up until the final whistle!

"We've been looking forward to this for quite some time, and are very happy to be a new affiliate of bwin.com," said team President and CEO Romerinho. "It also helps that the Pistolas FC Franchise are avid fans of both A.C. Milan and Real Madrid. We hope readers of our site take advantage of this great opportunity from bwin.com, and the best part is, things are ready to go just in time for Champions League play later this afternoon."

A quick look at the PistolasFC.com site reveals two new bwin.com banners, one of which shows a great risk taker on Dynamo Kiev winning over Barcelona - the odds, $16 on Dynamo Kiev.

So take a risk, get lucky, and make your football watching experience more exciting, with bwin.com.

TORONTO - Entering this season there were plenty of prospects - rookies - new to Pistolas FC and looking to make their mark. Some big expectations were expected from them all.

Earlier in the season, a poll was held where fans voted on who they thought felt the most of this pressure. Between Eckleton's brother Sam, former high school star Frank, MSL Superdraft picks Stefan and Conrad, former Celtic FC player Jules, former CFL player Rob Pikula, and rugby playing Colin, there were 7 rookies in total; only one can win.

Throughout the season, each had there memorable moments and meaningful contributions. But in the end the nominees came down to 3 that impressed; Jules, Rob, and Conrad.

Conrad entered the year raw, and showed aggressiveness, speed, no fear, and a desire to learn and grow his game. Jules brought an experienced, competitive edge, clearly able to read the game and run higher level plays. He was a catalyst on midfield, acting as the general, hustling up and down to support both ends of the field. His passing was both precise and effective in creating chances up front. When called upon, he even served the defense core dutifully, playing the acting role of sweeper and manning the line.

In the end, it is Rob Pikula who was named Pistolas FC Rookie of the Year.

Rob entered the season voted by fans as the player with the most pressure to perform; and perform he did. Using that big boot, he launched a tirade of shot on net, including a Pistolas FC record 10 goals in one season. His fitness and hustle made him capable of multitasking throughout the field during games, playing roles ranging from defense to midfield, to striker. His efforts in the offense led to many victories - especially in close games - and he was the most dominant striker on the team. Without Rob, one can only wonder what sort of offensive output may have occurred this year. And with one season under his belt, I'm sure there's a bright future for this star, who's already been locked up for next year.

Congratulations Rob on winning Rookie of the Year.

TORONTO - And the winner is.....

Though the on field success was less than expected, the Pistolas FC Organization evolved and grew in leaps and bounds this year, forming an Executive Branch comprised of Romerinho as President and CEO, Charles as Vice President, Davidinho as Director, and Steve Ward as Assistant Director.

Throughout the year, the committee discussed many issues ranging from the pistolasfc.com website, the roster, the direction of the club, new kits, sponsors, corporate partnerships, and charitable causes the club looks to contribute to in the future. Yes, these four have been privy to plenty of ongoings in addition to their on field play.

But one of these men took on a great task this season, and helped steer the organization when the President and CEO was away in Europe. His contributions have: helped grow a bigger fan base worldwide; helped make key personnel decisions; and attracted an array of followers to the beloved website.

Yes, Davidinho has been named the Pistolas FC Executive of the Year.

In Romerinho's absence, Davidinho took on the website, and ignited articles that were comical, straight up, and left avid reader begging for more. His ideas were plenty and his emails long and well thought out. His commitment to the team grew ten-fold this year. His organizing of social events was just the icing on the 'soccer ball' cake. An original founder of the Pistolas, his future plans for the club look to only bring up its presence across the globe. Look for him to play an even bigger role leading up to 2010 and beyond.

Congratulations Davidinho!

TORONTO - As the pistolasfc.com website has noted over the last week or so, a reborn site is in the works and expected to be fully complete by October 1st.

Most notably, readers will have noticed the colour scheme change from orange and black to a dark gold and black.

"The new colour scheme is meant to reflect the direction we're planning on going with our new 2010 team kit, the black and gold third jersey worn by Liverpool FC. We wanted the website to reflect our team colours, and so far the feedback has been fantastic!" reported team Director Davidinho.

"We've also ended our partnership with bet365.com and are looking to go down another avenue. Whether or not that new avenue is up and running by October 1st only time will tell, but it will definitely be up come the middle of October," chimed in team President Romerinho.

"But the biggest news," he continued, "is a major organizational announcement set for October 1st to coincide with the revamped site. Initially as of last week, there were 2 main announcements to be presented simultaneously. However, as of earlier this afternoon and most recently as just over an hour ago, I have finalized two other announcements that will also be presented at that time. More than that I don't want to really get into what the announcements are, other than to say that it has been a long time in the making, one of them as long as 2 years in progress, and October 1st will mark a momentous occasion for the Pistolas FC organization."

Yesterday, Romerinho squashed rumours that the announcement was about the hallowed "7 Fields" project that would see 6 top class fields surround a 7th World Cup field in a new stadium in the Markham area.

TORONTO - As first reported yesterday, Mark Cinerari - All Star Keeper and Pistolas FC Legend - captured the MVP Award for his gamesaving role in the finals this past Sunday.

Up 2-1 just before the half, a striker from Practice FC broke down the left flank and cut to the middle. With the full target at his disposal, he let a shot rip, only to be stiffled by the strong hand of Cinerari. Later, in the second, he faced a wave of shots on target that he handled with ease.

Cinerari's Pistolas FC career has been nothing short of spectacular, and his play and committment one of the most consistent on the team. Though the team is working on a new contract, it is no secret that he is highly coveted by the team and adored by his legion of fans.

PFC seems like a great fit for man between the pipes heading into 2010.

TORONTO - Looking to put the '09 season behind them, Pistolas FC look to regroup today for the final match of the year; the 3rd place consolation finals.

"The team needs to put forth their best effort and go out on a winning note. As with every match, no team can be taken lightly, as was the case last week against Inter Selects. But I'm confident that the guys will tough it out. Rob The Rocket is back this game, which should inject the team with some life. Our pride is on the line, and I'm sure it will be another tough test against this Practice FC squad," said Romerinho.

During the regular season, a short PFC team squared off against relegation bound Practice FC and fell behind 1-0 on a garbage fluke goal. Down 2 men, they regrouped and launched a tirade of offensive waves, dominating ball possession and talking quality shot after shot on target. Frustrated by the opposing goalie's luck, Rob chased down a Romerinho cross to the goal line, and sent a pass back to Jules for the clinical burial in the back of the net.

The final game of the season takes place at The Nest, 5:00pm; should be a match to watch.

TORONTO - One of the positives to take out of the 2009 season was the performance of Rookie Sensation Rob 'The Rocket' Pikula, who's powerful kick is now known throughout the league.

Rob led all scorers this year with 9 goals, and missed very few games. His scoring prowess was a constant threat each game, and his fitness levels set the new PFC standard.

He even tied former MVP Eddy Megurian's record 9 goals in a season, and one can only hope that if Eddy returns in 2010, that they would hook up to be quite an offensive tandem.

Capable of running for miles, Rob was the top striker this year, and a definite shoo-in for MVP. He also handled the midfield position well, using that powerful boot to launch balls over the heads of opposing defenders.

"Pistolas FC is thrilled to have to true talents signed and committed to 2010 so early. Having Jason star at defense and Rob at offense is incredible, and now we can move forward to adding a solid midfield star," said Romerinho.

At this pace, assembling a full roster by December may even be possible, with indoor training to take place soon after.

TORONTO - True to yesterday's 2010 article, Pistolas FC are ecstatic to announce a major signing, bringing back Galactico defender Jason Shumski.

Long rumoured to be rejoining Pistolas FC from long time friend and Pistolas Assistant Director Steve Ward, Shumski officially confirmed with the team late last night that he would be returning 100%.

"Adding Jay Shumski even before our season is done [consolation finals this Sunday at 5:00pm] has been a huge step. Defense is key to any team, and nothing more can be said that hasn't already been said by this organization, about just how great of a player and all around guy Jason is, and how much of a difference he makes to a club," said Romerinho.

The signing of Jay Shumski also proves just how hungry the organization is to get a team in place early, and hopefully goes a long ways in attracting and retaining key talent to PFC.

PFC can now turn its attention to signing more key players in time for the January deadline.