Omar Gonzalez second in USMNT Castrol Index rating after friendly

The Castrol Index has expanded to United States soccer, and last night's match against Canada was the first run of the player performance index. LA Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez finished a close second behind Matt Besler and in front of Justin Morrow. Besler and Morrow made their debut on the US backline along with Tony Beltran. Beltran was removed at halftime for Benny Feilharber.

It's telling about the way the match went yesterday that three defenders topped the Castrol Index. Besler edged out Gonzalez because the Index considered Gonzalez more responsible for the Canadian shots conceded. Considering the Canadians only took two shots with only one of those on target, that's not too big of a concern.

The Castrol Game Index has yet to be updated online, but when it is it can be found here (link). The press release claimed there's already a 703 point gap between the three defenders and the bottom of the pile.

With such a short turnaround before the World Cup Qualifier in February, it's likely some of these defenders will make the US squad in Honduras. Specifically, Omar Gonzalez has gotten a very close look these past three weeks.

The Castrol Index has been partnered with MLS for two years now, with Robbie Keane edging out Chris Wondolowski this past year. Castrol also has a FIFA performance Index, with Lionel Messi is current atop of. The Castol Index winner in MLS has yet to coincide with the MLS MVP, voted on by media, players, and coaches.