Memo to MLS: Jaime Moreno has not retired

By Steve Goff

On Monday evening, MLS put out a long list of the players available for selection by the Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers in Wednesday's expansion draft.

Protected players were left off the roll. So were young homegrown players, who are exempt from the draft, and veterans who had announced their retirement, such as Brian McBride, Clint Mathis and Eddie Lewis.

Also absent was Jaime Moreno, MLS's all-time leading scorer. Except Moreno was not protected, is certainly not a homegrown prospect ... and never retired. Since August, his situation was clear to everyone. Well, almost everyone: Moreno and D.C. United would part ways at the end of the season, and the Bolivian forward would explore opportunities back home, weigh retirement and leave open the possibility of joining a different MLS team.

So Moreno was confused, and a little irritated, when he checked the list Monday night and didn't see his name.

"I didn't understand it," he said in a telephone interview from Atlanta, where he is serving as a guest assistant coach for the U.S. under-20 national team this week. "The fact that my name is not there, everyone is thinking I am retired. My name should be out there."

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Because of his age (36), salary expectations and infrequent play this season, Moreno probably wasn't going to be selected by the Timbers or Whitecaps anyway. But most of the 150-plus players on MLS's master list weren't either. The point is: Moreno never retired, and although he won't play for United ever again, he should have been listed with DCU's other unprotected players -- just as Mexican-bound defender Jonathan Bornstein was included in Chivas USA's group.

Who messed up? The league. Each club was required to submit only its 11 protected players by Monday afternoon. MLS was responsible for compiling the list of available players. This afternoon, after being made aware of the error by the Insider, the league apologized to Moreno, and said it would add him to the list of available players and also notify Vancouver and Portland of his availability.

Moreno told the Insider today that playing in Bolivia is his last option and that, if an MLS club approached him and selected him in the re-entry draft next month, he would listen to an offer. (Anyone in need of a veteran forward with a proven scoring record and leadership experience?) He said he has not spoken to any club, but once he completes his U-20 duties, he will sort out his options.

"If I have a chance to play and the situation is right for me and my family," he said, "then I would look at it seriously."

