MetroFanatic: The MetroStars were a very young team last year, and you were brought here for your experience.
Jeff Agoos: I understand the role I have in coming here. I welcome that role. I think there's a lot of youth on this team, but at the same time, the youth that's here has been here for a year or two, so there's a lot of experience in that youth as well. But my job is to make the team better in whatever aspect that is, be it on the field or off the field, and ultimately I hope that leads to a championship.

MF: Are you gonna be playing three in the back, four in the back?
JA: You are talking to the wrong guy. I have no idea. We played three, we played four, but to give you a concrete answer, I got no idea.

MF: What do you think about your defensive partner, Jeff Parke?
JA: Jeff is a very talented player, very atheltic guy, great one-on-one defender. He is a young kid with just a ton of potential, and I think he'll do a great job this year.

MF: How fast are you, really?
JA: I am as fast as I have to be. I don't time myself daily, but the success of the player is whether he puts himself in the right position, if he gets to the ball at the right time. Hopefully, that's what I'll do.

MF: You took a lot of criticism, fair or not, with the national team. How does a person take all that and keep on playing?
JA: I think what the media does, it's their job to create controversy, to create those stories. I know what I'm capable of, I know what my role is. I understand the criticism, I don't agree with it. You move on and don't worry about the past. You move on and try to get better.

MF: How is your health? You missed some games last year.
JA: Knock on wood, I feel healthy, I feel ready to go. It's been a great preseason and hopefully I can remain healthy through the season, as I think every player would say.