The team has released, traded away or sent off to retirement a half-dozen players since the end of last season - Alecko Eskandarian and Eddie Pope, among them - which already had featured a massive roster overhaul.

RSL also has added four draft picks - including UCLA's Tony Beltran, the No. 3 overall pick of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft - and the first of several expected free-agent signings, defender Ian Joy.

Under the management of new general manager Garth Lagerwey and coach Jason Kreis, the team will administer physical exams and fitness tests today, before opening three days of practice in Salt Lake City on Sunday.

Several notable players will be missing, however, with strikers Robbie Findley and Alex Nimo, midfielders Kyle Beckerman and Nathan Sturgis and goalkeeper Chris Seitz away at national-team camps and defender Nik Besagno and midfielders Carey Talley and Duke Hashimoto still recovering from knee injuries.

Defenders Jamilson Olave of Colombia and midfielder Matias Cordoba of Argentina have reached agreements to join RSL, but are not expected to arrive for training until transfer paperwork is finalized.

Next week, the team will be off on the first of its three preseason trips - to California, Florida and Argentina - before the season opener against the Chicago Fire at Rice-Eccles Stadium on March 29.

- Michael C. Lewis