Jonathan Bornstein has a slightly different perspective when it comes to the suspension of the Major League Soccer season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
That’s because the veteran Chicago Fire FC left back knows the clock is ticking on the remainder of his career.
The 35-year-old isn’t planning on retiring anytime soon — he said he wants to "play until I'm 40" — but Bornstein appreciates what he’s missing right now perhaps more than younger players who have their entire career in front of them.
“I’ve thought about that, actually, quite a bit,” Bornstein told the Chicago Sun Times. “Obviously, the closer you get to the end of your career, you almost cherish every game, every practice a little bit more. Not being able to train with the team due to extenuating circumstances is a bit of a Debbie Downer kind of a thing, but at the same time I’m very thankful that my family and I are healthy and we’re here with the support of the team.”
San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski, who announced 2020 was the final season of his storied professional career, is in a similar boat. Though the 37-year-old, the all-time leading scorer in MLS, recently said he’s contemplating the possibility of an additional season.
"I really don’t know, to be honest. I kinda would like to leave the door cracked, I guess because this isn’t really how I want to go out or really the season I want to have as my last,” he told NBCSports Bay Area. “But that being said, we still have to see what’s left of the season. I know that we’re going to try and play and play some sort of meaningful games. I want to be there. Again, I might have to reevaluate at the end and kind of go from there. My plan is still just to go all out and put it all in this year and have no regrets, that’s for sure.”
If Bornstein does play five more seasons, and if Wondolowski makes 2021 his farewell tour, neither would come close to being the oldest player to compete in an MLS game. That honor goes to Pat Onstad, who played the entire 90 minutes in goal for D.C. United against the Colorado Rapids at 43 years, 80 days in 2011.
The oldest to score a goal? That honor belongs to former Kansas City star Preki, who was 42 years, 113 days when he struck against FC Dallas in 2005.
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