Pistolas FC 2011

QUITO, ECUADOR - It was a busy weekend for futbol around the globe as teams continued their quest to qualify for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa.

But after all was said and done, the most entertaining match of the weekend showed the minnow nation of Ecuador absolutely dominate futbol giants Brazil, in what provided more proof that Ronaldinho has gone downhill.

Led by Ayovi, Benitez, and substitute Noboa, Ecuador launched assault after assualt in the entire first half, and again a heavy assault in the pressing closing minutes.


However, the man of the match was no doubt Brazilian keepr, Julio Cesar, who made brilliant save after save of shots on target and destined for the back of the net.

And in a tale of two halfs, we present Ecuador vs. Brazil.

Here is the game in 6 minutes, brought to you by TorontoFC TV.

LONDON - You've seen them at Premiership matches; their signs surrounding the match. Now, they're here.

Fans, in its quest to add more content you want, and get you excited about your favourite teams, PistolasFC.com has announced its affiliation with bet365, adding the bet365 banners to its site just in time for the World Cup Qualifiers on Saturday.

Simply click on one of the bet365 banners on our site and create an account over at bet365. There you'll have a wide array of sportsbooks to choose from ranging from tennis to soccer.
Bet on one match or up to 14 - and with a $1 minimum, you have full control over how much you want to bet.

"We looked at a number of other sportsbooks but decide that affilitating with bet365 was the best because of its simplicity, user friendliness, and trusted reputation," said the Pistolas FC Team Director. "At the end of the day, our readers want to be able to rely on us for a reputable sportsbook site, and bet365 is just that."

The timing couldn't be better as World Cup Qualifying resumes this Saturday onwards in continents around the world.

Ecuador's odds, for example, is +350 at high altitude at home in Quito against a Brazil team that may not have Kaka or Adriano due to injury. Teams - including Brazil - always struggle in Quito because of the altitude and are no strangers to losing on Ecuador's home turf, so that line is looking pretty.

MLS games are also on this weekend, and are available on bet365 as well. Toronto is listed at +350 against defending champs Columbus Crewe. A gamble?

So check it out, and make your picks...oh and if your looking for a massive payout, there's always Liechtenstein over Germany at +6600!

MARKHAM - Breaking news just minutes ago, pistolasfc.com is confirming that the MSC Premiership League will be expanding to 18 teams.

Final rumours continued to swirl around late Sunday evening, with the league opting for finding an 18th team to balance out the schedule. It appears as though a 17th team was imminent as early as two weeks ago but the league decided to hold out for an 18th team as it would cause a disruption if the team had an odd number of teams thereby creating a bye each week.

So with the expansion settled, Pistolas FC hope to get 2 talented players in the MSC Superdraft.

Although we have 16 quality players, we know upfront that some will miss games due to International Commitments in Europe this summer. So really we're looking for a solid defender who's quick, and a winger capable of bursting up the left flank to support the strikers, but with the fitness to burst back and help out.

There is a need at striker for sure, but there are many current Pistolas FC veterans and new signing like Eckleton, Colin, or Jules to name a few who could always move up and fill that extra spot alongside our 3 other strikers.

Playing their familiar 3-5-2 formation, PFC will begin training camp sometime in April in a date to be confirmed.

TORONTO - Thanks to the folks at Footbo.com, the Pistolas FC community is happy to present our first ever MLS Prediction Game.

It's easy to play. You simply predict the results of all the upcoming matches, earning 1 point for the correct outcome (win/tie), and 3 points for the exact score.

We will also be featuring a widget in coming weeks that will keep track of the top leaders in the prediction game live on our website, so that you can compare your MLS savvy with friends and family.

This is the first installment of a prediciton game on PistolasFC.com and at the start of the European season next year, you can be sure that we will be featuring all the top leagues in a Prediction series.

Also, what's a prediction game without a prize? The winner of the MLS Prediction Game will win an official Pistolas FC T-Shirt to wear with pride!

So join today!

TORONTO - So the 2009 MLS Season is underway with the expansion Seattle Sounders notching a smashing 3-0 win over last years MLS Cup finalists, the New York Red Bulls.

With Freddy Moreno notching a pair and an assist, followed by Brad Evans finishing a spinning turning bullet, and all this without the likes of recovering star Freddie Ljungberg, one can only imagine that if this keeps up Sigi Schmid will look like the Guus Hiddink of the MLS!

A very good start to what some are calling the most critical year for the MLS. The league is just coming off a recent announcement to award Vancouver with an expansion franchise in 2011, following the introduction of Philadelphia in 2010, and of course Seattle in 2009. But few can forget the short survival of the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny in the MLS only a few years ago.

Luckily the city of Toronto has helped shape the league not only in how it should run, but what exactly to look for in an expansion franchise - the right fans! So far Seattle has shown an overwhelming response to the expansion, having to cap season ticket sales at a sold out 22,000 seats. The Microsoft partnership has already proven its worth, but the best part of all has to be Drew Carey's (part owner of the Seattle Sounders) decision to let the fans vote on the General Manager every four years, a concept he learned while on tour at FC Barcelona. Give the fans the power!

But Toronto still has to be the best franchise in the MLS. The Fans and atmosphere say it all, and this year BMO Field is expanding the Supporters Section by alot. In fact, in a 'hockey/basketball' city where bringing in players from elsewhere and selling them on staying seems to be deja vu, it is the atmosphere at TFC games that is making players want to come and play here.

Here at Pistolas FC Toronto, we Officially Support our city's professional brethren in the 2009 campaign as they open up versus the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday, March 21st.

Of course the big signing for TFC in the off season is someone I used to play against as a kid, Dwayne De Rosario, a true star in this league. So here's a video from Toronto FC TV showing just some of the goal scoring success DeRo has had in this league.

TORONTO - The economy may be in a downturn, but it's having no effect on PistolasFC.com whatsoever.

In fact, with 11 days left to go in the month, PistolasFC.com has already broken the single day record, the weekly record, AND the monthly record of hits with smashing numbers!

The single day record was broken on March 11th, when the number of hits more than doubled the previous high. Subsequently the week of March 9th-15th saw the hits increase by 170%!

And by March 17th, the site had already broken the single monthly record, and the hits continue to climb.

We're also teetering aroud the 167 ranking in the SoccerLinks hitlist top soccer sites in the world, and rank 38th in the Footyall.com ranking.

These feats could not be achieved without our loyal fans and readers from around the world, so thank you all. As a reward we hope to bring you more as PistolasFC.com expands into your one stop Futbol Portal, and forever your World's Most Fabled Amateur Club.

BARCELONA - Now, aside from the 5-2 scoreline runaway victory, we just had to mention this game for the sheer beauty of the goals. Favourites and clubs aside, any fan of the game itself just has to revel in the ease of Lionel Messi, and the calm of Thierry Henry as they made it all seem so easy.

Enjoy the video recap of all the goals!

Watch Barcelona v Lyon View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

ROME - Well, it was by far the most thrilling of all the Champions League matches played the last two days, and with Roma leading 1-0, it just looked as if they'd net another on the counterattack (against Arsenal's press). And they almost got it via Julio Baptista.

So for those of you who missed it, the final ended 7-6 for Arsenal on penalty kicks.

Now sit back, and enjoy the video recap of all the goals. Enjoy!

Watch live video from VIP Sports! on Justin.tv

TORONTO - What thrilling matches in yesterday's Champions League action, and minus the Real/Liverpool match, we pretty much called the Villareal/Panathanaikos game being the one to watch, and the Bayern/Sporting game the game that should've never have been played!

Thanks again to the Champions TV Channel for the live feed of the Villareal-Panathanaikos match.

Now today's matches should all be fantastic as 3 out of the four were ties in the 1st leg leaving only Arsenal with a 1-0 lead on Roma. Athletico Madrid and Porto enter the second leg square at 2 a piece, while Barcelona and Lyon enter with a 1-1 draw from the first leg.

But by far the most anticipated match of the day will be between two of the top European heavyweights, Manchester United vs. Inter Milan. Both clubs are in first place in the Premiership and Serie A respectively. Both share a 7 point lead over second place in their respective leagues. Both are defending League champions in their respective leagues.

So this is the match we will definitely be anticipating; and if your lucky, you'll get to see it here LIVE!

Watch live video from champions_tv's channel on Justin.tv

TORONTO - Alright futbol fans, its the 2nd leg of the first knockout round in Champions League action, and we want to know which game you want to see.

First we have Steven Gerrard's Liverpool taking on the Galacticos themselves, Real Madrid. With Liverpool leading 1-0 after the first leg, Real will be hard pressed to win away in Anfield, Liverpool. However, Real also boasts the unique skills of 'Raul', who seems to be an accomplished ghost during national competitions, yet is a tour de force in Champions League, bragging the fact that he is the all-time leader in Champions League goals with 65. In this years competition he's already scored 3 goals in 6 matches. Can he lead Real to victory once more?

Next, we have the (ex)match fixers of Juventus against the 'Blue Ego Millionaires' of Chelsea. Chelsea won the first leg at home 1-0, but will it be enough? Could Juventus stalwart David Trezeguet return to his glory goals? Incidentally, he holds the Champions League record of the fastest (speed based) goal with a clocking of 97.76 mp/h (157.33 km/h) with Monaco Vs. Manchester United in 1997-1998.

The third game on tap is Panathanaikos vs. Villareal. Now, I could say insert your own jokes and stats here, but the truth of the matter is Panathanaikos is playing well having earned a 1-1 draw in Spain against a very strong Villareal team that finished runner up last year in the Primera Liga to Champions, Real Madrid, and ahead of a powerful, but 3rd place, Barcelona team. With Athens as their home field advantage, could this be the match to watch?

And lastly, let me decide for you: No one wants to watch Bayern vs. Sporting for obvious reasons. #1 Bayern won the first leg 5-0....IN PORTUGAL!!!!! And #2 they're now returning to the Fatherland for a home game???? Hey Sepp, time to install a mercy rule don't ya think?

So PFC fans, you decide which game you'd most like to watch. Think carefully. If you were at work and just couldn't get out early to watch, what game would you most want to see on your PC or Blackberry while the boss was going over those files.

TORONTO - Pistolas FC is happy to welcome adidas TV to the site. Simply click on select Channel, and then click on Football. The spots are a bit longer, but trust me when I say watch them from beginning to end as they, like this site, enjoy humour and tom foolery to the fullest!

TORONTO - Soccer is by far the most demanding sport when it comes to endurance, stamina, and fitness.

Naturally, players relish the half or a stop in play where they can grab a swig or two of natures finest; water. But playing at such a level also makes the body lose water. In fact, the average show that players run an average of 6-7 miles a game!

The problem becomes what's a player to do if that excess water doesn't come out in sweat.

Well, for one player, the urge was just too great, and the cameras didn't stop rolling.

"Ref! We got a puddle in the midfield!"


Such an incident would surely inflience others. What if fans didn't want to leave their seats during games just not to miss any action?

Luckily, in enters "Soccer Toilets."

To help quell the puddle situation, Port-O-Potty's have been replaced at fields in favour of "Soccer Toilets," where fans don't have to worry about missing the action, as they'll find a game of their own.

Simply put, the objective remains the same; get the ball into the net, or for the tipsy: stay on target!

MARKHAM - Could it be that PistolasFC.com has had such a major impact in the region, so as to spin off a bevy of new teams in the 2009 season? Well, we can't take all the credit, but the popularity of the site from around the world continues to grow, so we'll take some.

In fact PFC posted the second highest number of monthly hits in February - second only to August's playoff runup. And with only 28 days in the month, the August record would have been broken with the addition of those 3 extra days alloted to August.

News from the league headquarters has solidified 16 teams for this years 2009 season - up 4 expansion teams from last year. And there's is still the possibility of 2 more teams entering into the mix, which would bring the league up to 18 teams.

League expansion has been one of the great successes of the off-season already, and with so many teams, a tiered system is inevitable.

Ideally, you'd like to see teams come back year after year under the same name as they do in other leagues, which makes it easier to set up tiered systems. That way, the bottom 3 teams in the Premiership would be relegated, and the top 3 teams in Division 1 get promoted. If the situation were that all of last years teams are returning from 2008, then it would make sense to have the top 9 teams start off in the Premiership while those who finished in the bottom 3 would join the new teams in Division 1. That would definitely be the best option as is also serves a sort of reward to teams who have been around since the leagues inception (albeit under different names). Alternatively, the next best option would be to play a regular season with 18 teams, and have the top 9 teams at the end of the season enter the Premiership Division in 2010.

Also, with 16 teams, the playoff format works out more evenly as it divides by two each week. With 18 teams, the bottom two deservedly would miss out from the playoffs while the top 16 advance, or have an elite 8 only make the playoffs.

Pistolas FC, undergoing a rebuilding year themselves, embrace the new competition and realize that this year will be the toughest of all. But as the new guys quickly become adjusted with the veterans, every game will prove to be a memorable one.