FC Edmonton has announced the 18-man roster for its next two matches, Saturday against the Atlanta Silverbacks and Wednesday in Cary, N.C. against the RailHawks.

Wednesday will be cut-down day for FC Edmonton coach Harry Sinkgraven. Well, sort of. The team spent a week in Florida with its full roster complement of 23 players — and trialists Kyle Porter and Adrian Leroy — ahead of Saturday’s NASL-opening 2-1 win over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

Program the PVR. Make sure your Internet connection is fast enough to allow for multiple streams. This weekend marks a landmark in Canadian soccer. Four professional clubs are in action; FC Edmonton and the Montreal Impact kick off their NASL campaigns Saturday with road games in Florida. And MLS? Toronto FC visits the San Jose Earthquakes Saturday night. And the Vancouver Whitecaps head to Texas to take on the Houston Dynamo on Sunday. Of the weekend’s action, only Montreal and FC Edmonton overlap.

FC Edmonton announced that it has signed Sam Lam, the former University of Alberta standout — and brother of Matt Lam, who returned to Japan this weekend to resume training with JEF United. Sam Lam spent the winter with the Edmonton Drillers of the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League. He was an FCE target — in fact, he was encouraged by FCE to play in the CMISL this season, as he retained his eligibility as an amateur.

FC Edmonton added some Caribbean flavour to its lineup — and then hammered developmental side FC Tucson 6-1 Friday night in the NASL club’s second to last preseason tilt of its Arizona trip. The team has signed Trinidad and Tobago attacking midfielder Conrad Smith (who also goes by “Conrod Smith,” but he has informed the club he prefers “Conrad”), who most recently spent time with the Caribbean nation’s most famous club, Joe Public FC.

FC Edmonton got a taste of MLS competition in its preseason opener Monday in Arizona, dropping a 3-0 decision to the reserve squad of MLS Cup finalists FC Dallas. Homegrown prospect Ruben Luna put FCD ahead just three minutes into the games as the Edmonton side, in only in its second day in Arizona, struggled to adjust to the pace of a team that is nearing the end of its preseason conditioning.

Two more Albertans highlight the four signings FC Edmonton announced Monday. The club, which is set to make its debut in the NASL and the Nutrilite Canadian Championship in 2011, has confirmed deals with Edmonton native Chris Lemire, Lethbridge, Alta. teenager Niko Saler, former Portland Timber Mutanda Kwesele and Dutch defender/midfielder Paul Matthijs.