A few months ago when Jonathan Bornstein first arrived in Chicago, we sat down with the former U.S. Men's National Team defender for a wide-ranging Q&A. We asked him about his hero status in Honduras after scoring a 2009 stoppage-time goal against Costa Rica that saw Honduras through to the World Cup for the first time in nearly three decades.
"I still get messages," Bornstein said. "It was 10 years ago now, but I still get ‘We still remember the goal’ in messages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, every time that part of the year comes around."
Well, that part of the year came Monday, and boy did Hondurans remember. With the anniversary came dozens of posts across social media thanking Bornstein for his role in one of the proudest sporting moments in the Central American nation's history.
"You made a lot of people cry in happiness in Honduras, something that is hard for our country in the middle of turmoil," one user wrote. "8 million people still remember you and we can only say: THANK YOU again."
"I hit the windows so much I don’t know how they didn’t break," another said. "And my wife would tell me to have faith before anything else and you’ll see that we will go and I would tell her 'No, it was going to be the same story as always and I will never see that flag in a World Cup.' And when that goal came I almost broke everything and I cried like a child."
Bornstein went on to appear twice for the U.S. in the 2010 World Cup, but it's the goal that came after the Yanks had already qualified that is still remembered so fondly today.
"It’s really nice to see. Just for scoring a goal, the impact it can have," Bornstein said. "I feel very fortunate that I was able to help them out that way. What a great moment.”
To see more of the outpouring of love from Honduran fans, check out all the replies to Bornstein's tweet commemorating the anniversary.
