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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 1:21 p.m., Thursday, March 5, 2009

Soccer: Donovan returning to Galaxy after loan

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — David Beckham's status as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy is still in question. Landon Donovan, though, is coming back.

The Galaxy announced Thursday that last season's team MVP will rejoin Los Angeles on March 10, two days after the end of his loan to Germany's Bayern Munich.

Beckham is on loan to AC Milan through March 8 and wants to stay with the Italian club. The English midfielder has three seasons left in his $32.5 million, five-year contract with the Major League Soccer team but can terminate the deal at the end of the season, increasing pressure for a loan extension or permanent transfer to AC Milan.

The 26-year-old Donovan scored a career-best 20 goals to lead MLS last season and also had nine assists in 25 games. The forward, who has 84 goals and 69 assists in 183 MLS games, made five Bundesliga appearances and one German Cup appearance for Bayern Munich.

He had expressed interest in staying with Bayern upon his arrival in January but has been used sparingly. There appeared to be little room for him on a roster that already included Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose and will be gaining Ivica Olic from Hamburg for next season.

"I am very excited to be returning home to my teammates and the LA Galaxy," Donovan said in a statement. "Although the results were not what we had hoped for, the time in Germany still was very positive for me. I am fit, motivated, and excited to be coming back as a better, more experienced player."