🇺🇸🇭🇳 Jonathan Bornstein is feeling the love in Honduras
The ex-USMNT defender on *that* goal, playing till 40 and his very own GOAT method
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Do you remember where you were on October 14, 2009? Probably not … unless you’re Honduran.
That was the day Los Catrachos secured their return to the World Cup for the first time in nearly 30 years. It happened thanks to a 1-0 win over El Salvador, yes, but it really happened thanks to a 95th minute goal by Jonathan Bornstein against Costa Rica.
For the already-qualified United States, the equalizer at RFK Stadium meant a first-place finish instead of second. For Honduras, Costa Rica’s misfortune meant a trip to South Africa, outright joy and a mid-October moment many will never forget.
Bornstein can’t ever forget, and he’s now getting constant reminders about the header that moved a Honduran commentator and untold thousands more to tears.
“It’s literally brought up every single day,” Bornstein told me over Zoom last week. “I’ll be going to the supermarket, and definitely a lot of people will recognize me and tell me their story about what was going on during that goal.”
The country was in the throes of political uncertainty after a June military coup. Some celebrated the goal by running to government buildings to protest, filled with patriotic spirit. Some ran into the streets and splashed around in fountains. Others simply tell Bornstein that it was one of the best moments they shared with their father.
An accidental Honduran hero 14 years ago, Bornstein today walks the streets of La Ceiba, feeling the love a foreign nation still harbors for him. He signed for CD Vida in January, sparking a media frenzy as a player who is a household name in the country actually took up residence there.
The 38-year-old spent the last four seasons with the Chicago Fire, but, after making 22 appearances last year, the club opted not to renew his contract. When he found interest from other MLS clubs tepid, he reached out to an old contact, a Honduran agent who had reached out to the player for advice years before.
It turned out Bornstein’s openness to play in Honduras meshed perfectly with Vida owner Luis Cruz’s predilection for making splashy foreign player signings to draw attention from the mega-markets of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.
“We quickly hit it off with the ideas he wants for this club, the project in general. I think me scoring that goal back in 2009, it’s created a lot of buzz even 14 years later,” Bornstein said. “With the project Luis Cruz has in place, I feel myself fitting in very well, being able to help and grow this club.”
It’s an abnormal move, but Bornstein’s entire career path looks quite different from most of is 2010 World Cup teammates.
After playing at UCLA, he stayed in Southern California and became a Chivas USA legend. From there, he jumped to Tigres, inspired by his Mexican heritage, and spent seven years in Mexico.
His next move also was inspired by his background, with the Maccabiah Games silver medalist returning to Israel to join Maccabi Netanya before his MLS return. Internationally, he would play just four more matches for the Stars and Stripes after his two World Cup starts, three friendlies and the 2011 Gold Cup final defeat to Mexico when he was forced into action after Steve Cherundolo’s early injury.
Bornstein, unsurprisingly, became the first World Cup veteran from the United States to play in the Liga Salvavida and just the eighth player from outside Honduras with World Cup experience to suit up in the Honduran league.
Yet, rather than stay in the U.S. and begin to transition into post-playing life, the chance to move to Honduras’ Caribbean coast was one the 38-year-old felt like he needed to take - even if it means some time away from his wife and kids - as he works toward a personal goal of playing into his 40s.
“I always felt like, if an opportunity came around, and I was to say no to the opportunity, just because maybe I was scared, it was a very bad example for my daughters,” he said. “One of the things that kind of came up with over over those years was, was this GOAT mentality.”
With only one person able to be the Greatest of all Time, Bornstein prefers to think of the initialism as “Go out and Try” or “Go out and Triumph”, a motto that speaks to his openness to taking on different opportunities.
“Every time you go out and try, you grow as a person and find new paths, new obstacles to over come, and it’s beautiful,” he said. “We grow as human beings when we travel and learn new cultures.”
He says he has “hit the ground running” in Honduras, playing six matches including his January 21 debut. Vida lost four of those games but beat power club Marathon and also fell to grandes Olimpia and Motagua.
Tonight brings another new experience for Bornstein as he plays in his first-ever Clasico Ceibeño against Vida’s crosstown rival Victoria, which sits a point above Vida in the table.
No matter how this spell ends up going on the field, though, Bornstein’s name and the goal he scored always will be special to his new neighbors.
“I knew there was something special there. I knew we had a special connection,” Bornstein said. “They've given me so much love and so much attention over the years that I wanted to be able to give something back, at least, and get to know them a little bit better within their country.”
Great article. Good for Bornstein. Love his version of GOAT.