By BRIAN LEWIS

Newly-signed defender Andrew Boyens won’t make the trip to L.A., while Eric Brunner _ the man he replaced on the senior roster _ is still mulling whether to take a demotion to a developmental deal. Jeff Agoos said Boyens’ P1 visa would likely come in next week at the earliest; the New Zealand international was paired in central defense in practice today with Brunner, who the club wants to knock down from the 18-man senior roster to a developmental deal. It remains to be seen if the rookie _ the Red Bulls’ second-round pick _ is willing to accept a pay cut from $44k to at most $17K.

“I think he is. He’s still here,’’ Juan Carlos Osorio said. “I know he likes it a lot, and he’s just trying to make a rational and a good decision for him and his family.’’

While starting midfielders Claudio Reyna and Seth Stammler are both out, forwards Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy Altidore are making the trip. Defenders Chris Leitch and Carlos Mendes are both officially listed as questionable, but both practiced today and will fly to Los Angeles with the team.

If Osorio decides to go with a 4-4-2, he said he was happy with how Dave van den Bergh handled left-back duties, and he firmly believes Kevin Goldthwaite and Jeff Parke could become one of the league’s top central defensive pairings.

Of course, that won’t stop him from bringing in another left-footed defensive trialist next week, the one who he’d hinted at three weeks ago. And this out-of-contract player should be a more cost-efficient (read: Cheap) option than the one he has lined up for the summer, which would free up some cash to splash on a midfielder when the window opens.