The Columbus Crew's attackers may have been getting the headlines at the start of the season, but goalkeeper Steve Clark emerged as the top player in MLS in Week 4, at least according to the Castrol Index.
Clark, one of the Crew's additions in the offseason, made five saves against the Seattle Sounders to keep his side in the game on Saturday before Justin Meram's stoppage-time strike gave Columbus the 2-1 victory. The other player from that entertaining match to make the weekly Top 20 was Seattle's Osvaldo Alonso (No. 12).
Rounding out the top of the order this week are Blas Pérez (No. 2), whose goal helped FC Dallas to a 2-1 win over the Portland Timbers, and Perry Kitchen (No. 3), who controlled the midfield for D.C. United in their 2-2 draw against the Chicago Fire. Another goalkeeper, Nick Rimando, grabbed No. 4 with a shutout over a remade Toronto FC side, and Péguy Luyindula's performance for the New York Red Bulls, capped off with the dramatic equalizer over Chivas USA, merited him the fifth position in the rankings.
Perhaps coincidentally, Sporting KC's Graham Zusi was ranked No. 10 for the second week running, following his goal-and-two-assist performance in a win over the Colorado Rapids.
See how players collect points in the Castrol methodology.
Castrol Index Week 4 Top 20 Performers
Rank |
Player |
Position |
Team |
Minutes |
Opponent |
Points |
1 |
Steve Clark |
Goalkeeper |
Columbus Crew |
90 |
Seattle Sounders |
1,327 |
2 |
Blas Pérez |
Forward |
FC Dallas |
65 |
Portland Timbers |
1,312 |
3 |
Perry Kitchen |
Midfielder |
D.C. United |
90 |
Chicago Fire |
1,258 |
4 |
Nick Rimando |
Goalkeeper |
Real Salt Lake |
90 |
Toronto FC |
1,116 |
5 |
Péguy Luyindula |
Forward |
New York Red Bulls |
90 |
Chivas USA |
1,076 |
6 |
Eddie Johnson |
Forward |
D.C. United |
90 |
Chicago Fire |
1,015 |
7 |
Dan Kennedy |
Goalkeeper |
Chivas USA |
90 |
New York Red Bulls |
993 |
8 |
Benny Feilhaber |
Midfielder |
Sporting Kansas City |
90 |
Colorado Rapids |
985 |
9 |
Eric Kronberg |
Goalkeeper |
Sporting Kansas City |
90 |
Colorado Rapids |
981 |
10 |
Graham Zusi |
Midfielder |
Sporting Kansas City |
90 |
Colorado Rapids |
947 |
11 |
Lee Nguyen |
Midfielder |
New England Revolution |
90 |
San Jose Earthquakes |
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-top-color: rgb(211, 211, 211); border-right-color: rgb(211, 211, 211); border-bottom-color: rgb(211, 211, 211); border-left-color: rgb(211, 211, 211); border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-collapse: collapse; width: 35pt; " width="46"><tbody style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; "><tr height="20" style="height: 15pt; "><td align="right" height="20" style="border-top-color: rgb(211, 211, 211); border-right-color: rgb(211, 211, 211); border-bottom-color: rgb(211, 211, 211); border-left-color: rgb(211, 211, 211); border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; height: 15pt; width: 35pt; " width="46">
945</td></tr></tbody></table> |
12 |
Osvaldo Alonso |
Midfielder |
Seattle Sounders |
90 |
Columbus Crew |
932 |
13 |
Michael Bradley |
Midfielder |
Toronto FC |
90 |
Real Salt Lake |
929 |
14 |
Álvaro Saborío |
Forward |
Real Salt Lake |
90 |
Toronto FC |
917 |
15 |
Jordan Harvey |
Defender |
Vancouver Whitecaps |
90 |
Houston Dynamo |
915 |
16 |
Justin Mapp |
Midfielder |
Montreal Impact |
90 |
Philadelphia Union |
901 |
17 |
Jhon Kennedy Hurtado |
Defender |
Chicago Fire |
90 |
D.C. United |
869 |
18 |
Mauro Díaz |
Midfielder |
FC Dallas |
90 |
Portland Timbers |
855 |
19 |
Nick LaBrocca |
Midfielder |
Colorado Rapids |
90 |
Sporting Kansas City |
847 |
20 |
Matt Besler |
Defender |
Sporting Kansas City |
90 |
Colorado Rapids |
807<br> |