D.C. United general manager Kevin Payne acknowledges that MLS faces some hard choices as its best players attract foreign offers. SOCCER AMERICA: By what criteria will the league decide the selling of its players? KEVIN PAYNE: There will be certain players who have opportunities to go elsewhere, and we’ll have to look long and hard at what we’ve invested in that player, what it would take to replace that player, and so forth. SA: What would it take to replace a player like Marco Etcheverry? KP: I suspect that if we bought Fernando Redondo, our Bolivian fans would learn to love him. But we’re not going to buy Fernando Redondo. It’s a tough challenge, and there’s really two issues. One is, you can’t continually sell better young players as you’re developing them because then the quality of the league’s going to go down on the field. And in certain cases, like Marco’s, you’ve got to think about the impact on the gate. We’re leading the league in away attendance. SA: What would the impact be? KP: I think it would be significant. And it’s not just with the Bolivian fans. Marco’s the most recognizable player on our team, and if he were to leave us and not be adequately replaced, every segment of our market would be affected negatively. SA: Doesn’t the league also consider the case of a player like Eduardo Hurtado, who scored 21 goals last year and drew some pricey offers, but has since cooled off? KP: You take a chance when you turn a deal down on a player that he’s going to go off-form and that deal’s never going to re-surface. I think Hurtado is going to start playing well for L.A. or, if he gets sold, he’ll start playing well for somebody else. SA: How were you able to extend Jaime Moreno’s contract for several years? KP: He likes it here. He feels his career has done well here, and he’s gotten a chance to excel. And he’s getting paid some pretty reasonable money. SA: And what about a good young U.S. player like Eddie Pope? KP: At some point, somebody is going to come along and make a credible offer for Eddie Pope. The question will be: At what price do you have to sell him? by Soccer America Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney