[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Five MLS teams were placed in the groups for the first round of the 2012-13 Concacaf Champions League. Instead of four groups of four, there will be eight groups of three. The four American entrants -- MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy, Houston Dynamo, Real Salt Lake, Seattle Sounders -- avoided Mexican teams in group play. Toronto FC, which fell to Herculez Gomez's Santos in the semifinals of the 2011-12 competition, will face the Mexican club in group play, which begins July 31. The winner of the eight groups move into the quarterfinals, where they will be seeded based upon their record in the group stage.

The groups are:

DRAW
Group 1: Santos (Mexico), Toronto FC (Canada), CD Aguila (El Salvador)
Group 2: Herediano (Costa Rica), Real Salt Lake (USA), Tauro (Panama)
Group 3: Olimpia (Honduras), Houston Dynamo (USA), FAS (El Salvador)
Group 4: Seattle Sounders (USA), Marathon (Honduras), CFU 1
Group 5: LA Galaxy (USA), Isidro Metapan (El Salvador), CFU 3
Group 6: Tigres (Mexico), Alajuelense (Costa Rica), Real Esteli (Nicaragua)
Group 7: Chorrillo (Panama), Monterrey (Mexico), Municipal (Guatemala)
Group 8: Xelaju (Guatemala), CD Guadalajara (Mexico), CFU 2

Note: The NASL's Puerto Rico Islanders, USL PRO's  Antigua Barracuda FC and Trinidad & Tobago clubs Caledonia AIA and W Connection will face off for the three Champions League spots from the Caribbean Football Union.