MetroFanatic: Carlos, you've survived a lot of change with this team.
Carlos Mendes: Yeah, it's obviously been a lot of changes. This year, with Osorio coming in, there are a lot of positive things going on. This club is moving in the right direction.

MF: You got your finger in the split. What happened?
CM: I tore the ligaments in my thumb, I had surgery a couple of weeks ago before we left Austria. Not a big deal though.

MF: The team is switching to a 3-5-2, and you're penciled in as the starting right back?
CM: I don't think anyone is penciled in anywhere, we have a lot of good players, especially in the back. We'll be competing for certain spots throughout the year.

MF: Two years ago, Mo Johnston tried a 3-5-2 with you at left back, and that didn't work out too well for the team. Do you want to draw any comparisons between Mo's team and this one?
CM: We really can't. Honestly, there are not many guys left from that team, there were a lot of changes. Whatever system you play, 3-5-2, 4-4-2, if we go out and play the way we know how to play, we'll have a very good season.

MF: A couple of years ago, I ran into a lot of members of your family in the stands. They were loud... very loud.
CM: Yeah, it's very good to be playing here in New York, because I grew up in New York, and I got a lot of family and friends here. Sometimes I might have 40, 50 people come to the game. I'm pretty fortunate to be playing in this great area, Metro area.

MF: So what were your three favorite things about Austria?
CM: The scenery is unbelievable, the mountains, and it's a beautiful city. A lot of tradition. Really cool to see the stadium, and the facilities they got out there. The training ground was obviously excellent, and hopefully we're moving in the right direction here. And for me, it was also seeing the pro ice hockey there. I'm a huge hockey fan, I grew up watching the Islanders.

MF: A rare Islander fan!
CM: Of course, I'm from Long Island, I have to be an Islander fan. I grew up playing it too, so I thought it was pretty cool to see a different league.