CARSON, Calif. – Fresh off a successful stint with the US National Team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Chivas USA team captain and left back Jonathan Bornstein has agreed to join Mexican First Division side Tigres UANL for the 2011 season.
The Los Alamitos, Calif,. native will finish the current campaign with the Goats before moving south of the border to Monterrey, in the Mexican state of Nuevo León, for his first stint in international club soccer.
“First and foremost, I remain focused on finishing this season with Chivas USA,” Bornstein said in a club statement. “There is a lot we can accomplish, from SuperLiga this week to the [US] Open Cup semifinals in September, getting into the playoffs and making a run at MLS Cup. 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.”
Bornstein joined Chivas USA as the team’s fourth round pick (37th overall) in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft and quickly made a name for himself. He earned Rookie of the Year honors in his first season, leading all rookies in scoring with six goals and four assists, and has been an MLS All-Star every year since.
The defender has also become a mainstay of the US National Team, having earned 34 caps with the squad. He made his World Cup debut in South Africa against Algeria and went on to get a starting nod against Ghana in the round of 16.
“From his first day with the club, you could see that Jonathan was a special player, both for his talent and his dedication,” Chivas USA head coach Martín Vásquez said. “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 US Open Cup, and excited to see what else he can accomplish in his career starting next year.”
Chivas USA will face Pachuca of the Mexican First Division on Wed., July 21 at 10:30 p.m. ET at the Home Depot Center. The match will feature a pair of other US World Cup veterans in addition to Bornstein, with José Francisco Torres and Hérculez Gómez both on Pachuca’s roster.
