Castrol Index Releases Latest Major League Soccer Results

NEW YORK, July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Castrol, the official sponsor of Major League Soccer (MLS) has released its latest Castrol Index for MLS.  The results below reflect every 2011 MLS season match, through June 29.  Thierry Henry of the New York Red Bulls continues to dominate the leader board.  

After scoring two goals in four matches played in June, Thierry Henry remains on top of the Castrol Index, having scored 8 goals this season. Landon Donovan, Brek Shea and Charlie Davies are also enjoying strong seasons, with each scoring 8 goals for their teams, but rank lower than Henry because of their overall play.

The Castrol Index assigns credit to a goal scorer depending on where the goal was scored from.  A short range shot is difficult to create and has a higher chance of being converted into a goal and is therefore more highly rewarded than a shot from distance which is easier to fashion but harder to convert.  Donovan ranks lower than Henry because one of his goals was from a penalty shot.  Penalty goals receive fewer points because they are more likely to be successful.  Brek Shea, ranked 18th, has had good passes but some of his on-target shots were from far away from the goal and did not generate many points.

Through June, Charlie Davies, ranked 103th, has scored 8 goals in only 14 games totaling 738 minutes played.  Two of Davies' goals were penalties shots, and he also created 2 penalties for his team which contributed in an overall lower score.

Castrol's team of performance analysts use the latest technology to provide data for the 2011 MLS season. In assessing every players' actions for net positive or negative impact on a team's ability to score or concede a goal, they log more than 1,800 player movements per match, examining the merits of every action. 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. Each player is awarded a score out of 10 to determine the best performing players in MLS over the season.

"We're confident that many of the players who rank well on the Castrol Index will be selected to play in the AT&T MLS All-Star Game," said Tracy Drelich-Knauer, Associate Promotions & Sponsorship Manager.  "It's impressive to see exponential growth on the list by certain players as the season progresses."

The Castrol Index is updated monthly with the next release scheduled for early August.

To view the full Castrol Index, visit www.MLSsoccer.com/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™ and is now used the world over -- supporting the 5 major European Leagues.  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 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