It hasn't been even three months since Real Salt Lake raised its first Major League Soccer championship trophy.

But already, it's gearing up to try again.

Though a labor dispute could still disrupt the upcoming season, the full team reports today and coach Jason Kreis opens his first full practice of the preseason Thursday at the Newpark Recreation Center in Park City, with most veterans joining the four rookies who began their indoctrination into pro soccer last week.

Only forward Robbie Findley, midfielder Kyle Beckerman and goalkeeper Nick Rimando are expected to be missing, having been called back into training camp for the U.S. national team, in advance of its international friendly against El Salvador on Feb. 24 in Tampa, Fla.

Otherwise, there will be few changes from the team that beat the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS Cup in Seattle in November.

The biggest?

Forward Yura Movsisyan left RSL after winning the title to play for Randers FC in Denmark, while backup goalkeeper Chris Seitz was lost to the new Philadelphia Union in the expansion draft.

Midfielder Clint Mathis is gone, too, having been traded to the Los Angeles Galaxy in a draft-day deal last month, effectively in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. RSL also swapped first-round draft picks with the Galaxy, moving up one position from last to choose midfielder Collen Warner of the University of Portland.

Clearly, though, team officials have approached the season much the same way they approached last year -- by making few changes and keeping the core of the team intact. Forward Abe Thompson is the only new import, having been claimed off waivers from Kansas City.

Standing pat looked like a bad idea for most of last season, as RSL strained to put together satisfying results. But Kreis and general manager Garth Lagerwey now have that championship trophy to vindicate their strategy.

It probably isn't a bad idea, either, to avoid signing any new contracts before learning the new rules.

The league and the players union continue to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement to replace the one that expired Jan. 31. The sides agreed to extend their negotiations until Friday, but there have been few signs of progress.

Without a new deal, the upcoming season will remain in limbo, even though the league has released its schedule.

Still, RSL is planning its first preseason trip to Arizona starting Saturday, and will return to Utah only briefly in early March before heading to the Carolina Challenge Cup tournament in South Carolina until the week of its season-opener at San Jose on March 27.