Jonathan Bornstein

Chivas USA

Bornstein was selected by Chivas USA in the fourth round (37th overall) of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft. A forward in college, he was converted to a left back by Chivas coach Bob Bradley, and was his team's surprising starter at the position when the season opened. Injuries and suspensions forced Bornstein back into an attacking role for Chivas USA's June 3 match against FC Dallas, where the rookie scored his first MLS goal. He continued his fine play in the back and also contributed to the attack during the rest of the season, finishing the year with four assists and six goals, leading all rookies. He started every game in the season, and his total of 2,878 minutes played was third-highest in the league. He was rewarded for his fine form by winning the 2006 MLS Rookie of the Year Award. In 2007, he was an MLS All-Star, and named to the MLS Best XI as one of the best 11 players in Major League Soccer. In 2008, Bornstein suffered a knee injury that affected him throughout the spring. When he came back, Chivas coach Preki began to employ him in an attacking capacity, which Bornstein trained for in his youth. He repeated as an MLS All-Star in 2008. In summer 2008, Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv was reportedly interested in Bornstein. News stories claimed that the offer involved a transfer fee of $750,000 and would increase the player's salary five-fold to around $500,000 a season. Bornstein was apparently unenthusiastic, fearing that such a move could cost him his…

Bornstein has made 38 appearances for the United States national soccer team. He got his first cap, and scored his first goal on an assist from Justin Mapp, for the U.S. national team on January 20, 2007, against Denmark. As 2007 continued, Bornstein became the first choice left back for Bob Bradley. He played for the U.S. in Copa América 2007. He received his first World Cup Qualifying appearance in a start against Guatemala in the semifinal round of World Cup Qualifying. In 2007, he helped the USMNT win the CONCACAF Gold Cup, making five starts during the tournament. He featured in the Concacaf Gold Cup (2007, 2011). In 2008, Bornstein lost his starting place to Heath Pearce and also struggled with injuries. He started the group stage matches at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, but was relegated back to the bench when Carlos Bocanegra returned from injury. After the Confederations Cup, Bornstein eventually replaced Pearce as first-choice again and remained so for the rest of the qualifiers. He scored the equalizing goal in the United States' final World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica in the fifth minute of injury time. The goal meant that Honduras, when combined with their win over El Salvador, a game in which Bornstein captained the US side, qualified automatically for the 2010 World Cup. That goal resulted in Bornstein having a level of celebrity in Honduras; he was invited to Honduras by the President of the country and he received letters of thanks for years…

Club

As of match played October 1, 2022

International

As of November 24, 2011

International goals

Bornstein was born in Torrance, California, and later lived in Los Alamitos, California. His father is Jeff Bornstein, who is Jewish and was born in Torrance into an Orthodox family, and worked for Hostess until his death in 2014. His mother is from Mexico, and is not Jewish. Bornstein's parents divorced when he was three years old, and he lived with his father. His stepmother, Rochelle Bornstein, works as a deli supervisor and cashier at a grocery store in Long Beach, California. His father's family were Romanian Jews. Bornstein grew up observing Rosh Hashanah and Passover with relatives, and said of his experience representing the U.S. in the 2005 Maccabiah Games reinforcing his Jewish identity: "I was able to explore my Jewish identity in the Old City, at Masada, at the Dead Sea." In 2006 he said: "in the past couple years, I've felt more Jewish than ever." He found faith in Christianity when he met his wife, and was baptized, while in Mexico. He told ESPN, "Just experiencing both cultures, sometimes I felt like I didn't know where I belonged. It's still a soul-searching kind of thing, trying to figure out exactly where you come from or which heritage you relate to. I still kind of feel lost even to this day, but it's something that I just deal with, and it makes me a stronger person having both of those heritages." His brother Andrew played soccer at Cal Poly Pomona, and is now a marketing director. He has a third brother, Taylor. His wife, Juliana, is from Brazil, and…