MLS Major League Soccer

Castrol Index Announced for Major League Soccer

Published on May 12, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


NEW YORK, N.Y. - Today, Castrol, the official sponsor of Major League Soccer (MLS) released the first official Castrol Index for MLS. The Castrol Index, a proprietary technology that objectively ranks a player's performance, was launched in 2008 with Castrol's official sponsorship of the UEFA Euro2008™ tournament. It was further expanded and refined in partnership with FIFA for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and is now used the world over-supporting the 5 major European Leagues and the UEFA Champions League™. This innovative tool analyzes and tracks every players move, providing statistical data and insightful analysis to fans, players and coaches to enhance their engagement with the game.

Castrol's team of performance analysts use the latest technology to objectively analyze every match in the 2011 MLS season, logging an average of 1,800 player movements per match. The Castrol Index tracks every move on the field and assesses whether it has a negative or positive impact on a team's ability to score or concede a goal. A key factor for all areas of performance in the Castrol Index is which zone on the pitch the action takes place. The Castrol Index operates on the philosophy that not all passes are created equal; a player's quality is more than just the goals and shots he generates and individual actions have their own merits. Each player is awarded a score out of 10 to determine the best performing players in MLS over the season.

The first Castrol Index results reflect all 2011 MLS season matches through May 1 with Thierry Henry and Steve Zakuani topping the leader board.

Rank Player Position Team Minutes Score/10

1 Thierry Henry Forward New York Red Bulls 441 9.24

2 Steve Zakuani Midfielder Seattle Sounders FC 452 9.16

3 David Ferreira Midfielder FC Dallas 505 9.1

4 Omar Gonzalez Defender LA Galaxy 450 9.04

5 Atiba Harris Forward Vancouver Whitecaps 443 8.99

6 Danny Califf Defender Philadelphia Union 540 8.94

7 Charlie Davies Forward D.C. United 361 8.89

8 Donovan Ricketts Goalkeeper LA Galaxy 450 8.85

9 George John Defender FC Dallas 540 8.81

10 Bobby Boswell Defender Houston Dynamo 630 8.77

To view the full Castrol Index, visit www.MLSsoccer.com/castrolindex.

The Castrol Index will be updated monthly with the next release scheduled for June 2.

"Castrol has a long-standing relationship with soccer throughout the world and we are extremely excited to bring this technology to Major League Soccer," said Tracy Drelich-Knauer, Associate Promotions & Sponsorship Manager. "The Castrol Index builds on our more than 100 years of technology leadership. Castrol is focused on creating the best products and experiences for our consumers."

"It's an exciting time for soccer in North America," said David Wright, vice president, global sponsorship, Soccer United Marketing. "Castrol continues to engage fans, players and coaches worldwide and we're thrilled to partner with Castrol on bringing this technology to MLS."

For over 100 years, Castrol has been the technology leader in motor oil with advanced proprietary formulas that exceed the world's toughest industry-agreed standards.

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