Klinsmann flirting with trouble at Bayern Munich

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If things keep going the way they are, it could be a race to see who gets back to Southern California first, Landon Donovan or Juergen Klinsmann.

On Saturday, playing in front of its own fans at the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich lost for the third time in its last four games, dropping a 2-1 decision to Cologne.

The defeat left Bayern in fourth place, with the chance of falling to fifth depending on later results, and also left Klinsmann bemused.

‘Quite a bit went wrong today,’ the coach said, a comment that will do little to appease angry fans of the defending Bundesliga champion or increase Klinsmann’s job security.

Klinsmann, who left Newport Beach last fall to take charge of the perennial German powerhouse, said Bayern’s players were ‘too hectic’ and had ‘no fire in the belly.’

Donovan again came on as a substitute, this time for the final 45 minutes, but Bayern was already trailing, 2-0, at that point and the on-loan Galaxy player’s only noteworthy contribution came when he cleared a ball off the goal line to prevent Cologne from going three goals in front.

Donovan is due back with the Galaxy on March 9, leaving him with only four games in which to produce the goals that might cause Bayern Munich to make an offer for him. Judging by goalkeeper Michael Rensing’s postgame remarks, however, Bayern might need to spend whatever spare cash it has on buying a defender.

Rensing said he was ‘sick to the back of his teeth’ of the defenders in front of him, adding that they ‘got on his nerves.’

Things are not going to get any easier for Klinsmann and company. The next three games are all on the road, first a European Champions League encounter with Sporting Lisbon in Portugal on Wednesday, followed by away games at Werder Bremen and Bayern Leverkusen, the latter being Donovan’s old club from his first two spells in Germany.

Perhaps that is when the goals will finally come for the Galaxy player.

--Grahame L. Jones