[flexcoders] Error with HTTPService POST making malformed element

[i.yoho]

I am new to Flex and need help with getting the appropriate containers
set up to send GOOD data from a swf to PHP to do the write to an XML file.

// The beginning of the error is...
[RPC Fault faultString="Error #1090: XML parser failure: element is
malformed." ....

// The beginning of the string that gets passed according to the
Apache access log...
?param2=%3Cplayer%20type%3D%22r%22%20id%3D%228326%22%2

//This part works fine if I am passing a string:
<mx:HTTPService
        id="myService"
        url="saveResults.php" resultFormat="e4x"
        />

//
myService.cancel();
                var params:XML = new XML();
                var n:Number = 0;
                for (var players:String in xfrObj){
                params["param"+n] = xfrObj["player"+n].toString();
                trace(params["param"+n]);
                n=n+1;  
                }

                myService.send(params);