There was a time not so long ago when, except for the World Cup or European Championship finals every two years, the international soccer season went from September to May, and June meant the beginning of a long summer vacation. To fill space during the light summer months, European magazines would present photo spreads of players and their families at the beach. No more. This past week, the first week of June, there were 41 World Cup qualifiers played around the world, not to mention the Tournoi de France. After the Tournoi de France, French and Italian players must return to Spain for the last three weeks of the season. Back in France, the first club opens training camp for the 1997-98 season June 17. FIFA has proposed that an international calendar be set so clubs and national teams don’t fight over the availability of players. In Europe, where most of the big money is to be made, UEFA is pressuring all leagues to reduce their size to a maximum of 18 teams in order to cut down on the number of league games. An international calendar would help matters in Europe, but it does nothing for MLS clubs. Bad weather restricts them from beginning any earlier than mid-March and ending any later than the beginning of November. During the big week of World Cup qualifying, MLS clubs were hit hard. Eight had to make due without international stars. Champion D.C. United lost four players, but it still managed to bury Colorado 5-0. Fans have complained the absence of these international players hurts the credibility of MLS. Would the Chicago Bulls allow Toni Kukoc to miss the playoffs to play for Croatia? Of course not. No league should accept over the long term the number of absences MLS clubs must put up with this season. The flipside, though, is that for now fans should just be happy the young league has managed to attract such a stable of stars. by Soccer America Managing Editor Paul Kennedy