Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Jonny reacts

I had the chance to talk to Jonathan Bornstein on the phone just now, after the United States' 3-0 win over Poland. I had intended to talk to him about the upcoming season but I took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about the US win.

I first asked him what his thoughts were on the game.

"It's a huge win. Obviously in the past the United States has not always got the result they wanted when they went to Europe. To go to Poland and get a 3-0 victory is very big. I thought we scored some great goals, played some good soccer and it was pretty exciting to watch."

Bornstein knows Bob Bradley well, having played for him both with Chivas USA as well as with the national team. I asked Bornstein what Bob's reaction was probably like in the locker room after the game.

"I think he's just letting them enjoy the victory. When he was here with Chivas, whenever we had a big win he just let the guys enjoy it. But then it will be back to work the next time they have a chance. There's a lot you can get from a win like that. Obviously there were some good things and things that need to be fixed. He'll just let the guys have a good time and enjoy the victory as much as they can."

Bradley called on three MLS-based players but Bornstein was not one of them. It's difficult to bring guys in without having played a competitive match in months, as is Bornstein's case. Offseason surgery kept him from participating in the United States' January camp and kept him from playing against Sweden and Mexico earlier in the year. I asked Bornstein how this match motivated him in terms of his upcoming prospects with the national team.

"It definitely motivates me a lot. I'm watching the positioning of our current fullback Heath Pearce and taking a look at the job he's doing and just trying to learn as much as I can by watching it from a different perspective. Hopefully I'll get the chance to be on the team again and be in a position where I'm the one who is performing. So it's definitely motivating in a positive way."

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