Kick Off: It's RBNY vs. 'Caps tonight in CCL | 10 teams in preseason action

Greg Seltzer

Here is everything you need to know about MLS and North American soccer this morning:

CCL quarters kick off tonight

We're now just hours away from the first competitive clash of the year between MLS clubs, as Vancouver and the NY Red Bulls meet in Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal opener at Red Bull Arena (8 pm ET on UDN and Facebook). Injuries have created some interesting lineup decisions for each side. READ MORE

7 preseason matches on tap

While the Red Bulls, Whitecaps and FC Dallas (Thursday night at 8 pm ET on UDN and Facebook) are occupied by Champions League play, 10 other MLS teams will be busy today putting final touches on their preseason preparations with matches kicking off between 3 pm ET to 7:30 pm ET. Both expansion teams will be in action against the most recent MLS Cup finalists: Minnesota face Toronto FC (3 pm ET), while Atlanta United meet the MLS Cup champion Seattle Sounders (7:30 pm ET) in the Carolina Challenge Cup. READ MORE

Tuesday's recap

Three MLS clubs were in preseason action on Tuesday. One of the highlights from LA's win over Real Salt Lake was the debut of new Designated Player Romain Alessandrini, and the club put together an "every-touch" clip from the game to celebrate it. READ MORE

DP goes under the knife

Vancouver will need to wait a little while to deploy new Designated Player Yordy Reyna, who has gone under the knife for a successful operation on his fractured foot. The Caps are now expecting the 23-year-old attacker back in training in early summer. READ MORE

Young forward inks new deal

D.C. United forward Patrick Mullins was signed to a contract extension on Tuesday. The deal locks down Mullins, who scored eight times in 14 games after arriving in a mid-season trade, through the 2019 season. READ MORE

TAM rule drawing raves

The 2015 introduction of Targeted Allocation Money, which is used by MLS teams to acquire and retain talent, has transformed the league, according to FourFourTwo. There are plenty of happy GMs around who have held on to their stars and (as Chicago's Nelson Rodriguez put it) "improve roster slots four through seven" using the roster mechanism. READ MORE

Captain Kljestan honors supporters

New Red Bulls skipper Sacha Kljestan, who takes over for the fan favorite Dax McCarty, will be carrying the club's fans with him during every game this season. How will he put it off? He's simply added the badges of three of the club's supporters groups to his captain's armband. READ MORE

Lennon trick revives US U-20's

The United States jumpstarted its CONCACAF Under-20 Championship hopes with a 4-1 victory over Haiti in their second group phase match. A loss would have killed their chances to advance to the knockouts (and to earn an Under-20 World Cup berth), but Real Salt Lake forward Brooks Lennon came to the rescue with a hat trick. READ MORE

Diego Valeri, man about town

Plenty of pro athletes make a point of contributing to their communities, but few become a true part of it the way Diego Valeri has in Portland. Not only do the Timbers ace and his family show their faces all over the Rose City, they fully intend to remain there after his playing days are over. READ MORE