MetroFanatic: You've signed a new contract, but there were rumors you were almost traded to DC in the Eddie Pope deal. What are your thoughts on that?
Steve Jolley: I knew it was all part of the business and what they're looking to accomplish in terms of getting the new roster. I wasn't too concerned with it, because I knew it wasn't a personal issue. I knew Bob was confident in my abilities, but at the same time he wanted Jaime and Richie and Eddie to come in that deal, and my name was a part of it. But fortunately I'm still here. He did what he did to keep me, I'm grateful for it, and I'm looking forward to the season.

MF: Tell us a little about your relationship with Mike Petke. It seems there was a little bit of a love-hate thing going on there.
SJ: No, not at all. I don't think it was like that at all. I think people just misconstrued a lot of different things. Mike and I have always had a great relationship, we do to this day. I talked to him a couple weeks ago, and he seems to be enjoying his time in DC. It's just unfortunate that, publicly, it came out that way. But both Mike and I have the utmost respect for each other and our playing abilities.

MF: Will we be playing with 3 backs or 4 backs this year? What's your role?
SJ: I don't think we've decided on it yet. Optimistically, it looks like 4 in the back for the first game, but when we get this new Honduran midfielder, that could change things. I think Eddie and I are real comfortable with 3 or 4 in the back, so I'm not too concerned.

MF: Who will be the third guy in a 3 back system?
SJ: We haven't been playing a lot with 3 in the back. In our last scrimmage we had me and Eddie in the middle, Craig Ziadie on the right and Joey DiGiamarino on the left. There's a lot of people that can fill those positions.

MF: Last year you made a prediction that we were going to win the cup. What about this year, are you going to make any predictions?
SJ: The whole thing is, I have a lot of faith in my teammates. Last year I thought we had an incredible amount of talent, but it's unfortunate that we couldn't put it together. This year I'm not going to make any predictions, but like I said I'm very optimistic about this team, and when you look at guys like Jaime Moreno, Eddie Pope, Clint hopefully will be back this year in fine form, Tim Howard, that's a great core of players that our organization can build upon.

MF: Do you see yourself as a leader this year, even more than before?
SJ: Yeah, well I have a lot of experience, and my thing this year is just trying to remain consistent on the backline, and just become the best defender I can be. Hopefully, Bob will integrate me and teach me what he's learned, his experiences, so hopefully someday I can get involved with the National Team program again.

MF: It looked like last year you were one of the few players that bled the colors. What about your pride in wearing the jersey.
SJ: Definitely, I'm very proud of being in this organization. I think everyone recognizes that on the field, and sometimes more importantly off the field. The MetroStars mean a lot to me. Nick and Octavio Zambrano gave me an incredible opportunity to come here four years ago, and it's my commitment to being a true professional. I think that's what people pay their money for, to see players give it their all. And that's what I plan on doing every game.