Storm confident of defending title – Simmons
Defending champions Storm will put their Island Soccer league (ISL) title on the line tonight when they face high-flying Arsenal in the semi-finals at the National Sports Centre (NSC).
Arsenal have been the revelation of the season having made the play-offs for the first time in their history and will be looking to take the prized scalp of Andrew Bascome's Storm.
Storm striker Angelo Simmons will not be lured into a state of complacency though. Neither team has meet previously this season.
"We haven't played them yet this year so it will be an interesting to see what happens," said Simmons.
"We have more experience then them in this type of environment and a better team on paper. They are coming off a big win after beating Knights so they will be on a high, and may have a bigger boost than us.
"But we are going out to win so not playing on the weekend really doesn't matter right now.
"It's a big factor not playing them yet because we don't really know how they play apart from what we have watched, so we will just go out and play our brand of football and get the result needed." Simmons isn't worried about having a longer than normal layoff after getting a first round bye, but knows that shock results in ISL football often happen – as was the case with Knights who were favourites to face Storm before losing to Arsenal.
Storm will not make the same mistake claimed Simmons, who believed the difference in the sides would be the attacking prowess of their forwards.
"We aren't worried about fresh legs because when the game starts fresh legs won't be a factor. We aren't trying to think about getting another ring just yet, but it's a big thing for us and we are trying to go the distance and get our third ring out of three," said Simmons, who along with team-mate Ajani Gibbons is in the hunt for a third ISL ring.
"The biggest thing in the games will be our attack and their defence as we have goalscorers all across the board so it will be interesting to see what happens.
"But the advantage is in our favour, we just need to do what we set out to do and let the play do the talking for us."
Storm against Arsenal is the second of a double-header at the NSC, with the first match between Union and Royal scheduled to start at 7.15 p.m.