Sebastian Giovinco and David Villa have one more dress rehearsal before the postseason commences. And while MLS Cup is the ultimate goal, one player will have a chance to earn another piece of hardware: a complimentary one-year lease of an 2018 Audi RS3.
That’s the prize given to the winner of the Audi Player Index Award, which will be decided after the final matchday of the season. Currently, Giovinco holds a slight edge over Villa, with an average score of 636 Audi Index Points to Villa’s 628. There’s still a chance that Villa can take the top spot with a big game, especially since New York City FC needs a win at home against Columbus Crew SC to secure a first-round bye (4 pm ET; MLS LIVE).
So how have these two players put together their amazing season? Let’s start with Toronto FC’s superstar.
Despite being limited to 24 starts, Giovinco has continued to deliver offensively for the Supporters' Shield winners. Whether providing the final pass or finding the net himself, the diminutive Italian has produced when he’s been available.
Even with entire defensive game plans designed to limit his influence, the striker’s intelligent off-ball movement and exceptional technique allow him to create chances where others cannot. Despite a relatively modest return of 15 goals and 6 assists, Giovinco continued to pepper opposing goals with a season-to-date total of 123 shots, second only to Golden Boot leader Nemanja Nikolic.
On the other side, NYCFC’s Villa has been a steady presence all season, starting 27 matches and participating in 30. His best run came in the hot summer months, when he scored 11 goals in 10 matches between June and August. And while the Golden Boot is likely out of reach, Villa’s tremendous 2017 form earned him a surprise call-up to the Spanish national team at the age of 35.
With both players getting some well-deserved rest toward the end of the season, Sunday represents an opportunity for each player to get back to full speed before the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs. And if any extra motivation is needed, both players could be a short 90 minutes away from a brand-new RS3.
You can see their Audi Player Index scores in each game they played below.
