GUADALAJARA, Mexico – However you attempt to sugarcoat Jonathan Bornstein’s last eight months, the only conclusion you can come to is that they have been very difficult.
Since signing a one-year loan deal with Querétaro from Tigres last summer, 30-year-old Bornstein has had three separate injuries – hamstring, fifth metatarsal, broken nose – his father passed away and his playing time has been cut short as a consequence.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Bornstein said over the phone with MLSsoccer.com on Wednesday. “I’ve just been trying to get back on the field and earn the starting spot, like always.”
On Tuesday, a major boost finally arrived, when Bornstein put in a full 90 minutes and played well in Queretaro’s 1-0 road victory over San Luis in the Copa MX. It was the three-time MLS All-Star’s first appearance for Querétaro’s first team since last August.
The next step, he says, is to stay fit and remain in coach Ignacio Ambriz’s first-team plans and pick up some more playing time to give him a platform to make his next career decision, with his contract winding down at the end of the Clausura season. Bornstein says he has “always kept the door open to MLS” and although a move back north wasn’t on the table last summer, he’s excited about the league’s development of late.
“I’d always love to go back to play in the US," he said. "The league is growing so rapidly. It's pretty exciting, with the guys who are going back and having success.”
And for the former Chivas USA player, who said he was “disappointed” to see his old side fold, you get the feeling he’d be particularly keen if the new Los Angeles franchise – which is set to debut in MLS in 2017 – came calling at any point in the future.
“It’ll be a good franchise and it’s my home town, so I'd be pretty excited to go back and play for them,” stated the World Cup 2010 veteran.
And Bornstein may not be the only player at Querétaro with some interest in heading to MLS, with the American admitting that Brazilian star Ronaldinho has approached him “a few times” to ask about a certain city and team in SoCal.
“We’ve talked about Los Angeles, the Galaxy a few times, about the city,” said Bornstein. “I think it’d be a place where he’d like to play someday. Obviously, the rumors were going around before the start of this season in terms of him going to MLS or Galaxy.
“I told him that Los Angeles is my home town, it’s the best place I’ve ever lived and that was the extent of it."
The left back believes Ronaldinho’s impact at Gallos Blancos has been positive in terms of filling stadiums and getting Queretaro’s name out there, adding that he enjoys talking to the 34-year-old about his experiences.
“Off the field, he’s easy to talk to and he has a lot of experience, so it’s good to chat to him about things like Barcelona or the World Cup with the Brazilian national team,” Bornstein said.
But with the Liga MX Clausura 2015 still in its infancy after just six rounds of matches and Querétaro underachieving down in 14th place, both Bornstein and Ronaldinho could do with impressing in the next few months to increase their options after the season ends.
