“This is our time!” hollered St. Ann’s Rangers veteran utility player Devon Modeste.
Modeste scored the winner against Digicel Pro League leaders North East Stars in a 2-1 quarterfinal win last Friday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium and is very confident that his team can defeat Defence Force in the semifinal round to reach the Final.
Rangers and two-time winner Defence Force will play in semi-final one on Friday 28 September at the Hasely Crawford Stadium from 6pm and at 8pm six-time winner W Connection and defending champion Caledonia AIA will tackle each other in semifinal two.
“With the team we now have, Rangers can reach the Final and win it,” added Modeste confidently.
“It will be a hard game but we’ve done our preparations for them and will make it easy. Our entire team is ready for the match. We are all excited and are doing the right things. It’s big time now, or no time and we are all aware of this. We can’t say when we will reach another semi-final so we have to do our best now.”
Modeste said the team received a boost knowing that they played “the team (North East Stars) on top the League and beat them” in the semifinal round.
If Rangers were to defeat Defence Force and reach the Final of the 2012 First Citizens Cup, it would be only the second Final reached in the club’s history since joining the TT Pro League in 2006.
It was in 2007, under then coach Anthony Streete that Rangers reached the Final of the (Courts) Pro Bowl but lost to W Connection on penalties following a 2-2 draw.
Today the St. Ann’s club is coached by former player Dean Pacheco, who was a member of the team in 2007, and he is equipped with a generally new squad.
Talented goalkeeper Zane Coker, sturdy defender Jamal Jack, Elijah Belgrave, youthful Kadeem Drayton, Christon Thomas, Modeste, experienced Hector Sam, T&T Under-23 forward Cameron Roget, rookie Andrew Smith, Mikhail Awai and opening goalscorer against North East Stars, Jason Marcano, makes up the nucleus of Pacheco’s squad.