MUNICH, Germany (AP) Landon Donovan hasn't come back to Germany, where the Bundesliga opens Friday night with five Americans on team rosters.

Donovan, a 20-year-old forward from California, was the youngest player to score at the World Cup, getting two goals for the United States. His rights are owned by Bayer Levekusen, one of Europe's top teams, but he is completing his second season on loan to Major League Soccer's San Jose Earthquakes.

After failing to get into a Bundesliga game during two years with Leverkusen, Donovan doesn't want to go back, and team officials are negotiating with MLS, which wants to keep him for next season.

American defender Frankie Hejduk, despite his good showing at the World Cup, will struggle to see time with Leverkusen.

Also on the rosters of Bundesliga clubs are Tony Sanneh of FC Nuremberg, and Steve Cherundolo and Conor Casey of Hannover 96, and Philip Sayer of Werder Bremen.

Sanneh, a defender who played well at the World Cup, is likely to see the most action. Cherundolo, also a defender, started for the United States in World Cup qualifying but was a reserve at the tournament.

In addition, defender Cory Gibbs is likely to start for FC St. Pauli in the second division. In the third division, midfielder Joe Enochs already has played two games for VfL Osnabruck.

The new season kicks off Friday following the bankruptcy of the Kirch Group, which has caused a drop of up to 25 percent in team budgets.

But the fans' interest remains high thanks to Germany's performance at the World Cup, where a team expected to struggle made it to the final, losing 2-0 to Brazil.

Few spectacular transfers were completed in the offseason. Predictably, the top acquisitions went to the clubs who get money from the European Champions League, such as Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen.

Dortmund, which won the championship last season and reached the UEFA Cup final, signed midfielder Torsten Frings from Werder Bremen and defender Juan Ramon Fernandez from Argentina's Estudiantes de la Plata.

Bayern Munich, whose run of three straight Bundesliga titles was stopped by Borussia Dortmund, spent $25 million to buy midfielders Michael Ballack, Sebastian Deisler and Brazilian Ze Roberto.

Leverkusen lost Ballack and Ze Roberto, but signed a pair of Brazilians, forward Franca and defender Juan, and also added Czech midfielder Jan Simak, the top scorer in the second division last season.

Leverkusen Jens Nowotny is still recovering from the knee surgery that caused him to miss the World Cup and won't be available until midseason.

Borussia Dortmund, which won the title on the final weekend of the season, is expected to be missing forward Maracio Amoroso heading into Friday's opener against Hertha Berlin. Marcio Amoroso, who led the Bundesliga with 18 goals last season, has an injured heel. Also out is defender Christian Woerns, recovering from knee surgery.

Matthias Sammer, who at age 34 became the youngest Bundesliga coach to win the title, said he was not putting his players under pressure to repeat.

"We are still a young team, and last season we had a lot of ups and downs," he said. "We have to be more consistent this season."

Bayern Munich is the favorite to win, led by Ballack, who had 17 league goals last season, and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, the MVP of the World Cup. Team president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said this may be the best roster in the club's history.

"We are motivated to go back to where we belong. Our goal is to be German champion," coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said. "Like last season, Dortmund and Leverkusen are going to be our toughest rivals."

German Cup champion Schalke 04 and Hertha Berlin are also contenders. Hertha Berlin has a trio of Brazilians - Luizao, Marcelinho and Alex Alves - forming what could become the best forward line in the Bundesliga.

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