Rookie Jonathan Bornstein, a multipurpose player for Chivas USA, was today named MLS Player of the Month for July. Bornstein scored four goals during the month and played every minute in all six of Chivas USA's league matches in July.
Bornstein, a California native and rookie out of UCLA, is a jack-of-all-trades for Chivas USA. He has played in three different positions for the team and has scored goals from all three spots. On the season Bornstein has four goals, all of them coming during the month of July.
His first MLS goal came as a midfielder on July 1 in a 3-0 win over FC Dallas. Bornstein's second and third goals came as a forward in a 3-3 draw versus the Colorado Rapids on July 20, and his finally tally of the month came as a defender on July 26 in another 3-3 draw, this time against Real Salt Lake.
Bornstein has started in all 20 matches he's played this season and has tallied more minutes than any other Chivas USA player (1799). He's played the most minutes of any rookie this season and has missed just one minute all year. Chivas USA has used Bornstein primarily as a defender, a position he never played during his college career.
The MLS Player of the Month is selected following the last game of each month throughout the regular season by a panel of journalists from the Professional Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA). The PSRA votes among players nominated by their respective teams.
2006 MLS PLAYER OF THE MONTH WINNERS
April: Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo)
May: Carlos Ruiz (FC Dallas)
June: Jose Burciaga Jr. (Kansas City Wizards)
July: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA)
