Jaime Moreno: Retiring A Legend

Our hero. Our godfather. Our champion. Our captain.

Jaime Moreno and D.C. United announced this week that 2010 will be Moreno's last year with the club. We all wish his last year could have been a better one.

Moreno is the only player in MLS history to score over 100 goals and generate over 100 assists. He's been responsible for 234 goals in his MLS career. Wow.

Moreno's all-time goal scoring record will be broken eventually. Landon Donovan should do it if he plays in the league a few more years. Taylor Twellman probably would have done it already if not for his head injuries.

But there is one record that Jaime Moreno owns that may never be broken.

12 titles.

Moreno was instrumental in every one of D.C. United's trophies. They couldn't have done it without him. And no team may ever be as prolific as those early United teams were.

We'll talk much more about Moreno in the coming months as his United career draws to a close. It will take us at least that long to sort out our feelings on how this whole situation has been (mis)handled.

So many D.C. United fans have so many mixed emotions on Moreno's retirement. Obviously Moreno isn't quite the player he once was, so "It's time," as Kevin Payne might say. But after scoring more goals than any player in MLS history and winning more titles than any player in MLS history, there's also a sentiment that Moreno should be allowed to stay as long as he wants. He shouldn't be forced out of his job.

But wait. We're all pissed at Kevin Payne for the way he is handling this, but couldn't the same be said about Payne? Like Moreno, he was also instrumental in winning 12 trophies...