There was only one goal in the fiercely contested LA Galaxy-Real Salt Lake clash last weekend, but the game did feature the top performance of the week, at least according to the Castrol Index.
RSL forward Joao Plata, who scored the winning goal for the visitors Saturday, leads the first Weekly Top 20 rankings of the 2014 season. And somewhat surprisingly, he put considerable distance between himself and the runner-up in the rankings, Houston Dynamo's double-goalscorerWill Bruin,
Plata was not the only player from the Galaxy-RSL match to make the Top 20, as Nick Rimando (No. 3) stopped yet another late-game penalty kick to preserve the points for RSL, while Robbie Keane (No. 20) represented the Galaxy in the losing effort.
Forwards won out in Week 1, as four of the top five, and nine of the top 20, played up top. Rounding out the top five this week were Portland Timbers striker Gastón Fernández (No. 4), whose goal on the last kick of the game gave his team a point against the Philadelphia Union, and Andrew Wenger (No. 5), who notched a goal for his Montreal Impact side in a loss against FC Dallas.
See how players collect points in the Castrol methodology.
Castrol Index Week 1 Top 20 Performers
Rank |
Player |
Position |
Team |
Minutes |
Opponent |
Points |
1 |
Joao Plata |
Forward |
Real Salt Lake |
89 |
LA Galaxy |
1,932 |
2 |
Will Bruin |
Forward |
Houston Dynamo |
90 |
New England Revolution |
1,610 |
3 |
Nick Rimando |
Goalkeeper |
Real Salt Lake |
90 |
LA Galaxy |
1,446 |
4 |
Gastón Fernández |
Forward |
Portland Timbers |
90 |
Philadelphia Union |
1,438 |
5 |
Andrew Wenger |
Forward |
Montreal Impact |
90 |
FC Dallas |
1,276 |
6 |
Bobby Burling |
Defender |
Chivas USA |
90 |
Chicago Fire |
1,243 |
7 |
Stefan Frei |
Goalkeeper |
Seattle Sounders |
90 |
Sporting Kansas City |
1,203 |
8 |
Boniek García |
Midfielder |
Houston Dynamo |
90 |
New England Revolution |
1,137 |
9 |
Federico Higuaín |
Midfielder |
Columbus Crew |
90 |
D.C. United |
1,116 |
10 |
Jack McInerney |
Forward |
Philadelphia Union |
87 |
Portland Timbers |
1,108 |
11 |
Chris Seitz |
Goalkeeper |
FC Dallas |
90 |
Montreal Impact |
1,025 |
12 |
Jaime Penedo |
Goalkeeper |
LA Galaxy |
90 |
Real Salt Lake |
1,008 |
13 |
Jairo Arrieta |
Forward |
Columbus Crew |
87 |
D.C. United |
1,007 |
14 |
Tally Hall |
Goalkeeper |
Houston Dynamo |
90 |
New England Revolution |
996 |
15 |
Fabián Castillo |
Midfielder |
FC Dallas |
90 |
Montreal Impact |
991 |
16 |
Thomas McNamara |
Forward |
Chivas USA |
79 |
Chicago Fire |
921 |
17 |
Dom Dwyer |
Forward |
Sporting Kansas City |
90 |
Seattle Sounders |
918 |
18 |
Agustín Pelletieri |
Midfielder |
Chivas USA |
90 |
Chicago Fire |
883 |
19 |
Mauro Díaz |
Midfielder |
FC Dallas |
88 |
Montreal Impact |
844 |
20 |
Robbie Keane |
Forward |
LA Galaxy |
90 |
Real Salt Lake |
827 |