NEW YORK -- Real Salt Lake will join MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy and three other league teams will play in the 2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League.
The group stage draw was held Tuesday, with each of the MLS teams in different groups. The stage begins July 31.
The Galaxy is in with Isidro Metapan of El Salvador, and a Caribbean qualifier yet to be determined. Toronto FC goes against Champions League runner-up Santos of Mexico and CD Aguila (El Salvador).
Real Salt Lake takes on Herediano (Costa Rica) and Tauro (Panama). Houston is in with Olimpia (Honduras) and FAS (El Salvador). Seattle Sounders gets Marathon (Honduras) and a Caribbean qualifier.
Defending champion Monterrey of Mexico is in Group 7 with Chorrillo (Panama) and Municipal (Guatemala).
Real Salt Lake's group opponents enable them to return to two countries with which they are familiar in CCL competition.
In the 2010-11 tourney, RSL split the series but won on aggregate in the semifinals against Costa Rican power Saprissa -- FW Alvaro Saborio's former club -- and swept Panamanian champion Arabe Unido.
The RSL portion of the tourney -- with road games televised on Fox Soccer Channel in the U.S. -- kicks off on July 31. The full group schedule for all 24 teams is expected to be released the week of June 11, following the finalization of various league "Apertura" schedules in the region and the confederation's summit for the participating teams
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