MetroFanatic: Our fans tend to have a very long memory, and something I don't think any of us will soon forget is the way the season ended in 2005.
Khano Smith: Yeah.

MF: So what are you going to do now in 2009 to make up for ruining our 2005 season?
KS: I can start by scoring my first goal at home against the Revs, hopefully that will go a long way toward paying back some of the hurt that I caused (A gentleman in the background mutters bitterly)... maybe a little bit? (laughs) Hopefully that's a good start, but the ultimate goal is to lift the MLS Cup with New York, I want to do it now more than ever.

MF: Speaking of the MLS Cup, you were so close a few times...
KS: It's definitely frustrating, but it's very motivating, I think. The day I stop wanting to win it is the the day I stop playing. Being in New York where they haven't won anything yet, even the Open Cup... anything we could bring home, I'm sure the fans would really appreciate it. I think on any of the three fronts, in the league, the Open Cup, the Champions League... we stand a good chance of coming away with something this year.

MF: With Juan Pablo Angel up top and Dane Richards playing across from you on the right side, how confident do you feel in the attack this season?
KS: The stats tell you we're playing with the best scorer in the entire league. It's up to Dane and I to create chances for Juan, but we don't always have to give him a perfect ball to score, but if it's a great ball he will score. If it's only a half-decent ball, he's still got a very good chance. That's the advantage of playing with a world-class player like Juan.

MF: Are you upset that New England left you exposed in the expansion draft?
KS: I wouldn't say upset because I'm really, really glad that I'm in New York. It's the closest thing to a home team for me since I have family and friends here all the time. If you asked me if there was any place in the league I'd want to be for personal reasons, it'd be New York. I've always wanted to be here, and coach Osorio has always wanted me on his team; he told me earlier when he was in Chicago and he traded for me here in New York. I'm on a good team now that was so close last year, and they've only continued to improve since then.

MF: What's one thing you could take from your experience in New England to bring to New York?
KS: Self-belief; when we were successful in New England we always believed that we could win and that we were better than our opponents. Sports psychologists say that your mindset plays a big part in your success, and I think that this team now has the belief that they were there, they were close, they want to get back there and they think they can do it.