Luis Robles and Dax McCarty named to MLS Best XI

New York Red Bulls midfielder and captain Dax McCarty, and goalkeeper Luis Robles, have been named to the MLS Best XI for 2015, Major League Soccer announced today during halftime of the second leg of the Western Conference Championship between FC Dallas and Portland Timbers on ESPN. It is the first Best XI for two of New York's longest-tenured players.

Voting for the 2015 MLS Best XI was conducted through write-in votes from MLS players, club leadership, and media members, with all players who appeared in a 2015 MLS regular season match eligible for nomination. The highest vote-getters from submissions formed a 3-4-3 formation: one goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders and three forwards.

McCarty, also named an MLS All-Star for the first time in his career this season, had a career-year points wise in his 10th MLS season, and fifth with New York. The midfielder scored two goals in the regular season and recorded a career-best eight assists, including the only three multi-assist games of his career. McCarty made 32 appearances in his holding midfield role and lifted the Supporters' Shield for the second time in three seasons, and the first time as captain of the Red Bulls.

McCarty also finished the season tied for fourth on the franchise's games played list, with 142 regular season appearances for New York. He is second all-time for New York in league games started, with 137, and second in minutes played as well. McCarty is also eighth on the franchise list for career assists, and fourth with game-winning assists. McCarty scored his second-career playoff goal, and first as a Red Bull, at D.C. United in the first leg of a conference semifinal series.

Robles rewrote the franchise records books in 2015, and adds the Best XI nod to his list of accolades. Robles was named Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year last week. Robles backstopped the Red Bulls in all 34 MLS league games for the third consecutive season, extending his iron man streak in MLS play to 106 consecutive starts and full 90 minutes played, the second longest such streak in league history. Robles won a career-high 18 matches, leading all of MLS in 2015. He made 86 saves and recorded nine shutouts with a 1.26 goals against average while the Red Bulls allowed the fewest goals in the Eastern Conference.

MLS Best XI
Goalkeeper - Luis Robles (New York Red Bulls)
Defender - Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact)
Defender - Kendall Waston (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Defender - Matt Hedges (FC Dallas)
Midfielder - Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City)
Midfielder - Fabian Castillo (FC Dallas)
Midfielder - Dax McCarty (New York Red Bulls)
Midfielder - Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew SC)
Forward - Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC)
Forward - Kei Kamara (Columbus Crew SC)
Forward - Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy)