Who’s the best player in MLS?
In 2016, the answer to that question was Toronto FC’s Sebastian Giovinco as he rode away in an Audi R8 after winning the Audi Index Player Award.
The Audi Player Index is back for the 2017 season and not without some improvements. Forty different component scores have been revised after extensive testing, which have helped to equalize the points across all positions with fewer points awarded for goals.
Another key change is the added component of factoring in game states. Match-winning and match-equalizing goals will now be awarded more points than goals that don’t have that effect on matches.
Also, the points awarded for specific actions are available for all to see. Each player has a full breakdown of their points in every Matchcenter.
Heading into Friday night’s game between the Portland Timbers and Minnesota United FC (9:30 pm ET; FS1 and FOX Deportes in US | MLS LIVE in Canada), be on the lookout for potential standout performances from Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson and his teammate, forward Fanendo Adi.
Both players performed much better at home than they did on the road in the 2016 stretch run. In fact, in his last three home games, Gleeson averaged 682 Audi Player Index points as he conceded just one goal across the three games. On the road he averaged just 302, conceding eight goals.
Adi had an even more pronounced discrepancy when it came to home and road performances. In his final three home games, Adi averaged 718 points largely due to the fact that he scored a goal in each of those games. He failed to register a shot on target in the Timbers’ last three road games and ended up averaging just 142 points in those matches.
