UNITED THEY STAND, BUT ...: MLS TEAM MAY ADD NEW INVESTORS

          DC United "may change at least some of its owner-
     operators in the coming months," according to team GM Kevin
     Payne, and cited by Will Kuhns of the WASHINGTON POST.  MLS
     owns all of the teams and player contracts, but each
     franchise has an owner-operator, who "essentially invested
     in the league but operates and manages a team."  The
     United's owner-operator is a group called Washington Soccer,
     L.P.  Payne, who heads API Soccer, the managing partner of,
     and lead investor in, Washington Soccer: "There is some
     interest on the part of some of the owners to sell.  There
     is the possibility of a change in ownership."  However,
     Payne said that there are currently "no prospective buyers"
     and that a sale "is not imminent" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/7).