LA Galaxy striker Landon Donovan is happy with his loan spell at Bayern Munich. "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," he told reporters. "Training at that level makes you better. Playing games at that level makes you better."

With Major League Soccer having a four-month off-season in the European winter, a short-term loan to Europe could become an attractive option for other players. "The reality is that the MLS off-season is too long for most guys," he said. "If you stop mid-October and don't start till February that is too long."

The other loan deal involving the Galaxy - David Beckham's switch to AC Milan, which has been extended to June - has been less helpful to soccer in the US Donovan said he knew little of the details, but added: "I think it's a lot more complicated than anyone realises. If we get him back for half the season and he is fit and motivated then that is better than not having him, so we will take it."