Chivas USA of Major League Soccer announced on Monday that defender and captain Jonathan Bornstein, a four-time MLS All-Star and recent standout at the FIFA World Cup, will join Tigres UANL of the Mexican First Division following the 2010 MLS season. Bornstein, of Los Alamitos, Calif., will complete his contract with Chivas USA before moving to the Monterrey, Mexico based team on January 1, 2011.
“First and foremost, I remain focused on finishing this season with Chivas USA,” said Bornstein. “There is a lot we can accomplish, from SuperLiga this week to the Open Cup semifinals in September, getting into the playoffs and making a run at MLS Cup. When the season ends, I’m excited to join Tigres and ready for all the changes that will come with the move. It will be a big moment for me and I’m looking forward to it.”
“Jonathan has been a wonderful member of the Chivas USA family since coming to the team in 2006, helping the club both on and off the field,” said Chivas USA President and CEO Shawn Hunter. “We know he will continue to bring his passion to every match for the rest of 2010, and while we will be very disappointed not to have his presence at the club next season, we’re thrilled for the opportunities that he has ahead of him. We are pleased to have helped shape his career, and also proud of the important role he has played in the history of Chivas USA.”
Jonathan Rey Bornstein joined Chivas USA as the team’s fourth round pick (37th overall) in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, and earned Rookie of the Year honors in his first season, leading all rookies in scoring with six goals and four assists. An MLS All-Star from 2007-2010, Bornstein has played a total of 112 regular-season games (110 starts) in his MLS career, with nine goals and nine assists. With the U.S. National Team, the Los Alamitos native scored a goal in his debut match against Denmark on January 20, 2007, and has played a total of 34 games with the squad, scoring twice. Selected to the United States’ roster for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Bornstein played in matches against Algeria and Ghana, and was one of the team’s top performers.
“From his first day with the club, you could see that Jonathan was a special player, both for his talent and his dedication,” said Chivas USA Head Coach Martín Vásquez. “He is a player who worked hard for every opportunity he has been given. We’re happy that our captain will keep fighting with Chivas USA for a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs and for the U.S. Open Cup, and excited to see what else he can accomplish in his career starting next year.”
Bornstein was born on Nov. 7, 1984 in Torrance, Calif., and grew up in Los Alamitos, just minutes from The Home Depot Center. A star at Los Alamitos High School, he had two successful seasons at Cal Poly Pomona before transferring to UCLA for two years. Of Jewish and Mexican descent, Bornstein helped the U.S. win a silver medal at the 2005 Maccabiah Games in Israel, and will not count as a foreign player in the Mexican First Division because his mother is a native of Mexico.
Chivas USA will face Pachuca of the Mexican First Division on Wednesday, July 21 at 7:30 p.m. at The Home Depot Center, and the match will feature a pair of United States National Team players in addition to Bornstein, with José Francisco Torres and Herculez Gomez both on Pachuca’s roster. For more information on the match, or to purchase tickets, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit cdchivasusa.com.
