Bradley Wright-Phillips Earns Castrol® Index Top Player

WAYNE, N.J., Oct. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Castrol®, an official sponsor of Major League Soccer (MLS), announced today its final rankings report for the 2014 MLS regular season. The Castrol Index, the official performance index of MLS, ranked all players from the data collected since the MLS season began on March 8, 2014, through the final game of the season. New York Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips earned the "2014 Castrol Index Top Player" distinction by accumulating 918 points, playing for 2,575 minutes.

Wright-Phillips earned this title by also finishing the season with a total of 27 goals, tying for the MLS single-season goals scored record with Chris Wondolowski and Roy Lassiter, who both reached the record in 2012 and 1996, respectively. As a result, Wright-Phillips also takes home the 2014 Budweiser Golden Boot for MLS.

Castrol is also excited to recognize the top players by position for the 2014 MLS season. Landon Donovan of the LA Galaxy completed his final season as the top midfielder and ranked number 15 overall on the Index, with 676 points over 2,717 minutes played, reflecting a season total of 10 goals.

Bill Hamid of D.C. United took the top goalkeeper spot, while Omar Gonzalez of the LA Galaxy is the top defender. Hamid's success as goalkeeper was a result of his strong, consistent performance, allowing only 34 goals in 2,700 minutes of play, while defender Gonzalez had four goals and two assists in 1,901 minutes of play.

In its fourth season, the Castrol Index continued to help soccer fans track the performance of their favorite players by using the latest technology to objectively analyze the 2014 MLS season. Analysts logged more than 1,800 player movements per match, assessing every player's actions for net positive or negative impact on a team's ability to score or concede a goal.

"This season, the Castrol Index once again proved to be the go-to assessment system for Major League Soccer players, fans and reporters," said Tracy Drelich-Knauer, Promotions & Sponsorship Manager for Castrol. "We're excited to see both players and fans using Castrol Index rankings as a measure of comparison. The Index really enhances competition among players and fans alike."

The MLS Cup Playoffs will kick off on October 29 and 30 with wild card matches. Castrol invites fans to visit the MLS Cup page at MLSsoccer.com to test their predictions against the Castrol Predictor to determine the final two clubs for the 2014 MLS Cup. This tool forecasts the teams that will advance in the playoffs based on empirical data collected during the season. The Castrol Predictor looks at factors such as the number of goals expected to be scored, the number of goals expected to be conceded and whether the team is playing at their home stadium or on the road. 

To view the full Castrol Index, visit www.MLSsoccer.com/castrolindex.  Fans can also join the Castrol Index and Predictor discussion on Castrol's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/castrolusa or on Twitter using #castrolindex.

About the Castrol Index
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™. 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. 

About Castrol®
BP Lubricants USA Inc. markets premium lubricants and business–building programs directly to independent lube operators, service providers, new car dealers and leading retailers. Our leadership brands include Castrol® GTX® — a premium conventional motor oil; Castrol® GTX® High Mileage™ - a premium synthetic blend designed for vehicles with over 75,000 miles; the Castrol® EDGE® line of advanced full-synthetic super premium motor oils that offer unsurpassed strength and performance; as well as our range of commercial transport lubricants. To find out more about Castrol products and programs, please call 1–888–CASTROL or visit www.castrol.com/us.

About Major League Soccer
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. MLS features many stars from the U.S., Canada, and around the world. Major League Soccer's 18th season features 19 clubs, each playing 34 regular-season matches. Those clubs include the Chicago Fire; Chivas USA; Colorado Rapids; Columbus Crew; D.C. United; FC Dallas; Houston Dynamo; LA Galaxy; Montreal Impact; New York Red Bulls; New England Revolution; Philadelphia Union; Portland Timbers; Real Salt Lake; San Jose Earthquakes; Seattle Sounders FC; Sporting Kansas City; Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. For more information about MLS, log on to the league's official website at www.MLSsoccer.com.

Contact Information:
Lauren O'Leary, Ogilvy Public Relations
212-880-5295
lauren.o'[email protected]

SOURCE Castrol

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