Donovan takes Bayern experience into qualifiers

• by Soccer America , Mar 25, 2009

[HEXAGONAL] U.S. attacker Landon Donovan's two-and-a-half month loan stint ended in time for him to rejoin the Los Angeles Galaxy for its MLS opener against D.C. United and he scored twice in the 2-2 comeback tie. Now he looks forward to World Cup qualifying games at El Salvador on Saturday (TV: ESPN2, TeleFutura, live, 9 pm ET) and Trinidad & Tobago April 1 (TV: April 1, live, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT, ESPN2 and Galavision).

 

"It was very instructive watching the other guys on the team - how [Franck] Ribery gets the ball, how Miroslav Klose moves into space to get the ball, how Luca Toni would look to receive, those things will help me a lot," Donovan, 27, told reporters at the USA's camp in Miami. "Training at that level makes you better. Playing games at that level makes you better."

Donovan went scoreless for Bayern as a sub in five Bundesliga games and one cup game after scoring four goals in winter-break friendly games. He was MLS's leading scorer with 20 goals in 2008.

"It was interesting with Bayern because opponents tend to sit in and defend in numbers," he said. "There wasn't a ton of space. It was about trying to make little advantages without having much space. That was good for me, makes me brighter and sharper."