MetroFanatic: Connor, two years ago you get high praise. Titi Henry calls you the team's MVP...
Connor Lade: (laughs)

MF: And last year, your playing time is a little less..
CL: Scarce. It was a little bit of a rough year last year. I had to battle some injuries, that lasted a little longer than I anticipated. And then, breaking back into such a deep team, and a team that's doing well is always gonna be hard. It was not a year that I pictured it out to be, but hopefully this year I can rebound.

MF: This preseason, you had more injury problems?
CL: I just got a concussion in the first game. But I'm all good now, did all the protocol, made it. It took more tests that I took in college, for the concussion. I'm feeling fine now, I'm all cleared, and just ready to prove what I got.

MF: You're very versatile, you played left back, right back, left midfield, right. There's gotta be a spot for you somewhere?
CL: This year they might be looking at me more in midfield.

MF: Do you feel better playing there? Is it easier because of the size?
CL: I don't really take that too much into consideration. There are a lot of smaller guys that have played defense, and have done really well. Easier-wise, I don't really see it that way, it's just different. But I'm excited, if that's where it's gonna be. I'm gonna embrace it totally, and hopefully fight for a spot.

MF: The degree of success of academy graduates on this team hasn't exactly been good. Some guys are gone, you, Matt, and Santiago are the only ones left.
CL: We have a lot of good guys in the academy now. Some of the guys who've come in haven't worked out for different reasons. But we've got a lot of good guys now who've been training with us, who are in college, or are going into college. You can see them making the jump at any point. It's only getting better in our academy, and hopefully it'll be supplying the team with a lot of guys in years to come.

MF: There was a rumor last year that Portland wanted you, and New York said no. Did you hear that one?
CL: I did. I don't really like to buy into any of the rumors. I don't know how much weight was behind that one.

MF: People make up stuff all the time, it's the Internet.
CL: Right, of course, but I never really focus on that too much. It is what it is, I guess.