ΒΕΤΤΙΝG NEWSLETTERS: Kick Off: Real Salt Lake return to Champions League | MLS rumor mill churns as window nears close

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Kick Off: Real Salt Lake return to Champions League | MLS rumor mill churns as window nears close

Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about today:

1. THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BEGINS TONIGHT

The Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League is back, with Real Salt Lake in action against CSD Municipal down in Guatemala (10 pm ET, FOX Soccer Plus) on Tuesday night. Following a three-year absence,RSL are raring to get going in the tournament again. Here’s everything you need to know about the CCL.

2. HAVE RSL FOUND ANOTHER FORWARD?

As Real Salt Lake get ready for the start of their CCL campaign, reports suggest that the team is close to finalizing a deal for Argentine striker Juan Manuel Martinez, who is currently without a club after having his contract with Boca Juniors terminated.

3. TIMBERS PART WITH FERNANDEZ

The Portland Timbers and Gaston Fernandez have agreed to mutually part ways. The striker struggled for regular playing time with the Timbers over the last year and reports on Monday suggested Fernandez could be returning to Argentina to play for former club Estudiantes.

4. JACK MAC ON THE MOVE

The Montreal Impact officially added Costa Rican attacking midfielder Johan Venegas to their roster on Monday. The latest arrival meant the Impact needed to move some players, and Montreal didn't wait long to do so, sending Jack McInerney to Columbus Crew SC.

5. ARE SPORTING KC TARGETING A BARCA PLAYER?

Following Oriol 'Uri' Rosell's success in MLS, it looks like Sporting Kansas City are heading back to Barcelona’s B team for their latest signing, with reports suggesting the MLS side is close to finalizing a deal for 21-year-old Jordi Quintilla.

6. UNITED’S NEW ARCHITECTS

D.C. United may be scoring at a ridiculous rate right now, but the next task for the team is to stop conceding so many. The team has also taken another step forward off the field, with confirmation that architecture firm Populous, which designed Sporting Kansas City’s stadium, will be working on United’s new home. Check out the renderings here.

7. DOS SANTOS SAYS HELLO

Giovani Dos Santos will be officially introduced as a LA Galaxy player this afternoon (LIVE STREAM, 4 pm ET). Ahead of the unveil, Dos Santos penned a letter to the people of Los Angeles. However, the Dos Santos move may never have materialized at all if not for former Galaxy player and current assistant coach Jovan Kirovski.

8. MONITORING THE SOUNDERS

Are the Seattle Sounders close to some new signings? Possibly, but one thing Sounders fans can be sure of is that they can now play games at CenturyLink Field in EA Sports FIFA 16. While the Sounders try to get themselves out of their current slump, here’s a look at how the coaching staff monitors fitness levels.

9. ‘CAPS RESPOND TO CELEBRATION COMPLAINTS

David Ousted didn’t hesitate to inflate the Vancouver Whitecaps' 3-0 victory over the Seattle Sounders, calling it “a huge milestone.” While the Sounders were unhappy with the way the ‘Caps celebrated, two-goal hero Pa-Modou Kah offered an alternative take on what they might be genuinely upset about.

10. TOMMY MAC MAKES AN IMPRESSION

New York City FC have all their Designated Players in place now, and the rest of the team surrounding them as well, so the next step is getting them to play as a team. Yet as NYCFC work on their chemistry, one player who head coach Jason Kreis is particularly pleased with is Tommy McNamara.

11. HEADS, YOU WIN...

There are still four teams alive in the US Open Cup. We’ll learn which of those four potential finalists will get to host the championship game when US Soccer stream the coin flip on Wednesday (12 pm ET, YouTube & ussoccer.com).

12. AMERICAN EXPORTS ON THE MOVE?

AZ Alkmaar are indeed in talks with Werder Bremen over a move for Aron Johannsson, with the Dutch club rejecting the German side’s first offer. However, while one outlet still believes Johannsson would be best suited by a move to MLS, he isn’t the only American in Europe who appears to be in the shop window.

13. LUIZ SEES MLS FUTURE

Could David Luiz be the next big star looking to make a move to MLS? The Brazilian defender certainly seems to be laying the groundwork, predicting the league “will be the future for many of us.”

14. THANK YOU BUT NO THANK YOU

Following his impressive form over the last year and a half, Bradley Wright-Phillips has drawn interest from the Grenada national team. However, the Red Bulls have since let it be known that, should such a call-up materialize, Wright-Phillips will politely turn it down.

15. LET IT GROW

Want another sign of soccer’s continued growth? How about 9,236 people showing up to watch Chattanooga FC win their National Premier Soccer League semifinal against the Indiana Fire.

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