Attack-minded U.S. 2010 World Cup defender Jonathan Bornstein was born and raised in Southern California and remained in the area for college (Cal Poly Pomona and UCLA) and pro ball (Chivas USA). The 25-year-old explains to Soccer America's Mike Woitalla why he's joining Mexico's Tigres UANL following the 2010 MLS season and how his youth experience helped shape his career.
SA: How do you think your style of play will suit the Mexican league?
JB: I think the Mexican league is very technical. For me personally, I think I’ll do well, being an outside defender able to attack. I think my style suits it well. I’m really looking forward to it. SA: It seems that American players such yourself – defenders who are capable of consistently contributing to the attack -- remain too rare. What do you think has made you a successful attacking defender?
JB: I never played fullback until my first professional soccer game. In youth, I played forward. In college, I played forward, central midfield and outside mid. When I got drafted by Chivas USA, [then-]Coach Bob Bradley turned me into a left fullback and I played that position for the first time in my career. I grew up as an attacker and never defended. So I tried as quickly as I could to get my one-on-one defending down, my team defense down, and also kept contributing to the attack, because that’s what I already knew how to do. I think versatility is the huge attribute that elevated me to where I am in my career -- being able to play different positions on a whim during a game. They throw me at forward, they put me at forward, or at center back. I contribute my success to knowing the game and knowing how to play different positions.
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