This week has been a great one so far for the Lions. Not only did they rally to beat Montréal on Saturday night, but the on-field performances of several players has been widely acclaimed by journalists and the league.
Major League Soccer announced another honor today. Cyle Larin topped the Audi MLS Player Index for Week 12 of the 2016 season. Star midfielder Kaká and keeper Joe Bendik also joined Larin in the top 11 for the week.
According to the league, “The [Audi player] index is calculated by rating nearly every action on the field according to the amount of positive or negative impact on the team's success, the position of the player, key tasks and the place on the field where the action takes place. The most influential play possible is a goal from outside the box, which would give a forward 545 points.”
Larin’s two-goal performance Saturday no doubt helped to shoot him to the top of the list, but he interestingly finished nine spots ahead of New York Red Bulls F Bradley Wright-Phillips, who also had two scores in his match this week. This means that Larin’s overall game, in addition to his goals, was superb, and the top spot on the Audi player index is a well-deserved honor for the 21 year-old forward from Canada.
Three Orlando City Players Named to MLS Team of the Week
For the season as a whole, Larin places as the 12th best overall player in the MLS. World Cup-champion Kaká actually outperforms Larin, ranking as the 5th best player in the league according to the Audi player index.
Bendik, coming off an incredible six-save performance against the Impact, ranks as the best goalkeeper in the MLS based on the index. The former Clemson goalie has faced a lot of shots this season and made outstanding saves that have allowed City to walk away from matches with points.
Orlando City will try and extend their home undefeated streak Wednesday night against the East-leading Philadelphia Union. If City players can land on the Audi MLS Player Index list for Week 13, hopefully that will mean the Lions came away with the win.
Below is the Week 12 list of the Audi MLS Player Index. Score breakdowns are provided on MLSSoccer.com.
