Chicago Fire Soccer Club Acquires Defender Jonathan Bornstein
July 22, 2019 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. - The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced today that it has acquired defender Jonathan Bornstein from Israeli Premier League club FC Maccabi Netanya. Bornstein is under contract with the Fire through the 2020 season with a Club option for the 2021 season. He will be added to the Fire's roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
To acquire Bornstein, the Fire obtained the No. 1 spot in the MLS waiver order from Columbus Crew SC in exchange for $50,000 in 2020 Targeted Allocation Money (TAM). The Fire then selected Bornstein off waivers with the No. 1 pick.
"We began pursuing Jonathan back in January but, unfortunately, his insertion into the lineup made him too invaluable to his former club," said Chicago Fire President and General Manager Nelson Rodrïguez. "In addition to providing a steady presence and competition on the field, we believe Jonathan will be an excellent mentor for our younger players."
Bornstein, 34, joins the Fire with an extensive professional career, including 304 appearances across all competitions in the United States, Mexico and Israel. Additionally, Bornstein has earned 38 caps for the U.S. Men's National Team, including two appearances in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and five appearances in the 2009 Confederations Cup.
The defender originally began his professional career in 2006 after being selected by Chivas USA in the fourth round (37th overall) of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft. In five seasons with Chivas USA (2006-2010), Bornstein made 123 regular season appearances (117 starts). His honors with the club included MLS Rookie of the Year (2006), MLS All-Star (2007, 2008) and Chivas USA Defender of the Year (2009).
Following his time with Chivas USA, Bornstein spent the next eight seasons in Mexico's premier division, LIGA MX. During his spell in Mexico, Bornstein played for Tigres de la UANL (2010-14), Atlante (2013-14) and Querétaro (2014-18). While playing in Mexico, the defender made 128 appearances and won the 2011-12 Liga MX championship, as well as the 2016-17 Copa MX and 2017 Supercopa MX titles.
In 2018, Bornstein signed with Maccabi Netanya ahead of the 2018-19 Israeli Premier League campaign. During his time with the club, Bornstein made 36 appearances and 35 starts, totaling 3,163 minutes across all competitions. During the second half of the 2018-19 campaign, Bornstein played 90 minutes in eight straight league matches from January 12-March 2, helping to guide Netanya to an unbeaten (5-0-3) record during that stretch. Additionally, with Bornstein anchoring the backline, Netanya only conceded four goals during that eight-game stretch, recording four clean sheets.
At the international level, Bornstein earned his first cap for the U.S. Men's National Team on January 20, 2007, scoring his first career international goal in a 3-1 win over Denmark. In addition to his appearances in the World Cup and Confederations Cup, Bornstein also featured in the Concacaf Gold Cup (2007, 2011), World Cup qualifiers (2010) and the Copa America (2007). In 2007, he helped the USMNT win the Concacaf Gold Cup, making five appearances (five starts) during the tournament.
Transaction: Chicago Fire Soccer Club acquires defender Jonathan Bornstein. The Fire obtains the No. 1 spot in the MLS waiver order from Columbus Crew SC in exchange for $50,000 in 2020 Targeted Allocation Money (TAM).
Name: Jonathan Bornstein
Position: Defender
Height: 5'8
Weight: 165 lbs.
Date of Birth: November 7, 1984
Birthplace: Torrance, Calif.
Citizenship: United States of America
Last Club: FC Maccabi Netanya
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