Landon Donovan seems to have found a home
SOCCER
He appears to be increasingly comfortable with the notion that it is Europe and not the Galaxy that holds his soccer future.
Three days into his stay at Bayern Munich, Landon Donovan appears to be increasingly comfortable with the notion that it is Europe and not the Galaxy that holds lies his soccer future.
On Thursday, under overcast skies and light rain, Donovan again worked out with the German team at its state-of-the-art training site in Munich. Judging by video of the session, he appeared to be quite at home alongside the likes of Italy's Luca Toni, France's Franck Ribery, Germany's Miroslav Klose, the Netherlands' Mark van Bommel, and Bayern's many other stars.
"Every player here, from No. 1 to No. 22, is a better player," Donovan, the five-time U.S. player of the year, said. "American teams have only one or two really good players.
"I believe I can keep up with the other players, even if I'm not the best player here."
Donovan made that point on the field in a scrimmage, playing with the first team in its 6-1 rout of the second team.
Just how long Donovan will be with Bayern -- the club's website on Thursday said it would be for 10 weeks, although the Galaxy has said it would be only 10 days -- is not clear, but Donovan has said he is ready to move on.
"Obviously, if I was in the Galaxy's position, I wouldn't be totally for it," Donovan said on his website. "But in my situation, I would love to go. . . . We'll see what happens."
Uli Hoeness, the former German international who is Bayern Munich's general manager, said no decision would come until after the 10-day trial was over. Nevertheless, Hoeness said Donovan had looked at ease in training.
"He has only been here for two days and so I cannot say too much, but what I have seen has been OK," Hoeness said. "He can certainly kick the ball."
The German media has speculated that Bayern Munich might make an offer for Donovan as a potential replacement for German international Lukas Podolski, who is unhappy with his backup role behind starting forwards Klose and Toni and wants to be traded.
Klose said Donovan is an option.
"He's an outstanding footballer with lots of quality," Klose said. "I think he would definitely make his mark in the Bundesliga."
It will be up to the Galaxy and Major League Soccer to decide whether to allow Donovan to jump to Europe.
The striker still has another year left on his $900,000-a-year contract with MLS, and the league holds options for two or three years thereafter.
