Castrol Index Announced for Major League Soccer

NEW YORK, May 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 player's move, providing statistical data and insightful analysis to fans, players and coaches to enhance their engagement with the game.

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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.

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.

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 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 log on to 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 16th season, which will feature 18 clubs each playing 34 regular season matches, kicked off on Tuesday, March 15, 2011. The 18 clubs are: Chicago Fire; Chivas USA; 2010 MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids; Columbus Crew; D.C. United; FC Dallas; Houston Dynamo; LA Galaxy; New York Red Bulls; New England Revolution; Philadelphia Union; Real Salt Lake; San Jose Earthquakes; Seattle Sounders FC; Sporting Kansas City; Toronto FC; and, in their inaugural seasons, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps. An expansion team in Montreal will debut in 2012. For more information about MLS, log on to the League's official website at www.MLSsoccer.com.

SOURCE Castrol