2015 New York Red Bulls Report Card: Luis Robles

Luis Robles is the rock of the New York Red Bulls. Behind a defense that was almost completely remade from 2014, Robles’ stunning play helped the Red Bulls give up the fewest amount of goals in the Eastern Conference. His play was rewarded by being voted as MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, not bad for someone picked out of the allocation pile in the middle of 2012. The Red Bulls should get credit for having a solid defense this year, but that credit needs to be put in context by reminder folks that Luis Robles was the rock that made sure to fix the mistakes made in front of him. For that we are ever grateful.

Player Stats

34 Appearances
34 Games Started
3060 Minutes Played
86 Saves
9 Clean-sheets

Player Grade: A

Things done well:

Robles may be the most acrobatic keeper in MLS. His stunning saves make him a human highlight reel, and are a thing of beauty to watch week in and week out. His reaction time is probably best in the league, and is an asset most keepers would dream of. Robles has played every minute of every MLS season from 2013-15, an impressive feat. It has been hard for any backup to even get minutes outside of USL action with Robles manning the pipes.He had a few injury scares this year, but managed to shake them off and keep guarding what mattered: the Red Bulls’ net.

Things done poorly:

Robles could probably work on his positioning a little bit. His acrobatics saves are fun to watch, but are sometimes the necessity of not being in the best position. The fact that I’m grasping for straws at a weakness shows how solid Robles has been for the Red Bulls. I would give him an A+ but that means he would have had to save every shot against him this year, which is physically impossible. I am a tough grader.

What do you think? Did I grade Robles fairly? Did I not? Please comment on this article to validate my opinions.