By Ridge Mahoney, Senior Editor
National teams made up of MLS players will likely be the norm in 2003.
Coach Bruce Arena doesn't foresee calling many of his European-based players in the first half of next year even if matches can be arranged during the FIFA international dates.
''It's not going to happen,'' says Arena. ''When can we get them?''
As for the Confederations Cup, scheduled to start in mid-June after the European league season concludes, Arena cites fatigue and fitness as important factors.
''For the most part the MLS players will be fit,'' says Arena. ''It remains to be seen which players we use in which competitions.
''We don't know where the players are going to stand physically, where they're going to be standing with their clubs — there's a lot of issues. We need to play out the first three or four months of 2003 before those decisions can be reached.''
''There might be players who are just physically done, can't go any more and need a break. We just have to wait and see. There are a lot of variables at this point in time.''
One of those variables will be the MLS schedule. Deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis says the league will play a lighter schedule during the Confederations Cup and the CONCACAF Gold Cup (in July) but the league will not shut down entirely.
All 23 players called into camp for the 2-0 win over El Salvador last Sunday were MLS players and four of them — Wade Barrett, Nick Rimando, Taylor Twellman, and Kyle Martino — earned their first caps.