MetroFanatic: So John, are we gonna start the season next Saturday?
John Wolyniec: We'll see. If the two sides come together, the players need an agreement in place.

MF: Have the owners been giving in to any demands?
JW: I can't really talk about it.

MF: Well, of course you're gonna say that.
JW: (laughs)

MF: But we have this beautiful new arena here, which the fans have been waiting for for years. Can you give us any sign, one direction or another? Should we be afraid? Is there optimism?
JW: The negotiations are going on, both sides are trying to come together. Obviously, the players want to play.

MF: Last year, both the ESC and MetroFanatic.com voted you player of the year. What can you say about recognition from the fans?
JW: It's great. Obviously, the fans are important to us and to me individually. To get an honor like that is pretty special. Obviously, we had a tough year last year and it was probably tough for them to pick a player. But it's still an honor and I really appreciate it. I go out there and work hard and try my best every game for the fans. I'm glad they see that. I'm honored.

MF: I feel that you were robbed in the Best XI vote. Well, Savarese was robbed too. But Jozy? Come on. You scored more goals than him! Jozy was here for like a year!
JW: Well, obviously Jozy is a huge talent and he's gone on to play for...

MF: Yeah, but now you're talking what he's done AFTER leaving the team.
JW: Well, it's a democratic system. They voted, and obviously Jozy is a great player. The club should be honored to have his name attached to the club. He's got a lot to come as well. I'm interested to see the kind of player he becomes.

MF: What do you think about the French forward who should not be named?
JW: I have no idea when or who or what, but a big name will bring a lot of attention to this club. This club is looking to improve all the time.

MF: What do you see as the biggest difference between Juan Carlos Osorio and Hans Backe?
JW: Hans is a lot... more relaxed.

MF: Does he take notes during the game?
JW: (laughs) I have not seen that yet. I'm sure he's taking mental notes. It's a little different approach, but he works very hard, and I'm anxious to get out there and see it in action.

MF: Is his technical approach different from Juan Carlos? Osorio used to tinker a lot.
JW: Yes, that's definitely one of the major differences. With Hans, from game to game the message is pretty much exactly the same, which is something we need. We need a little more consistency. Juan tried to scout the other team and try to figure out their weaknesses.

MF: Which didn't really work last year...
JW: Yeah, I don't know if that specifically was our problem, but every time you do that you run the risk of the team losing its identity. That's what happened last year.

MF: So what do you think about the stadium?
JW: It's absolutely gorgeous. So excited to play, it's a long time coming. I'm really grateful to Red Bull for stepping up and doing all it took to get it done. It's gonna be a great honor to play there. I couldn't be happier.