“I really want to see FC Edmonton build. I want to see this club build to the point where it’s the most popular team in North America that’s not in MLS — where Montreal has been up until this year. Everyone used to ask, ‘why isn’t Montreal in MLS?’ I want people to say ‘why isn’t Edmonton in MLS?’ "

FC Edmonton could carry four goalkeepers in the 2012 season.

The majority of FC Edmonton’s players and coaches gathered Monday for the team’s first training sessions of the new year. Yes, it’s Oct. 31 and the club, still smarting from the first-round NASL playoff exit, is back on the field. But keeper Lance Parker wasn’t one of them.

It looks as if Lance Parker and David Monsalve will battle for the role of FC Edmonton’s No. 1 keeper in 2012. The NASL club confirmed Tuesday that Rein Baart, who got the lion’s share of the starts in 2011, won’t be back.

FC Edmonton confirmed Tuesday that Canadian keeper David Monsalve has signed with the club. Monsalve, who had been on trial with FCE for the past couple of weeks, announced the deal via Twitter on Friday.

Amateur-contract goalie Justin Ammar is still the back-up to veteran Rein Baart in the FC Edmonton net. Ammar is leaving with the team Thursday as it begins a three-game road trip to the southeastern United States, which kicks off Saturday in a match against the NASL-best Carolina RailHawks.

Former Toronto FC goalkeeper David Monsalve is expected to get the start when FC Edmonton’s reserves face the Green and Gold Wednesday. If Monsalve, who made one MLS apperance for TFC in 2007 and also played for the Reds in a friendly against Aston Villa, impresses in his audition, he will likely stick with the team and go on the road when FC Edmonton faces Carolina on Saturday.

FC Edmonton will unveil its new Dutch midfielder at halftime of Wednesday’s game against the Carolina RailHawks. The midfielder, who coach Harry Sinkgraven and has been tracking since March, will do his first interview on the FCE TV broadcast with myself and play-by-play man Gareth Hampshire (Broadcast starts at 7:15 p.m. MT at fcedmonton.com) at the conclusion of the first half.

FC Edmonton has more bad news on the injury front. The club will now have to cope without veteran central defender Paul Matthijs for the long term. There are fears that the Dutch defender could miss the rest of the NASL season with a hernia

FC Edmonton will extend the amateur contract of goalkeeper Justin Ammar, so he can continue to apprentice during the club’s current netminding crisis. Ammar is a St. Albert, Alta. native who came in and played the final 10 minutes in Friday’s 1-0 loss to the Carolina RailHawks after starting keeper Lance Parker left Foote Field in an ambulance after suffering a compound fracture to his right arm.