December 16, 2010
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Galaxy striker Edson Buddle is trying out with Premier League club Birmingham during the Major League Soccer offseason. Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is searching for a new forward.
The central England club is two points above the three-team relegation zone after scoring just 17 goals in 17 matches.
The 29-year-old Buddle was the leading scorer in the MLS for most of the 2010 season despite missing more than a month for the World Cup. He ended the regular season as the second-highest scorer with 17 goals in 25 matches.
"He's been training with us this week and he's done OK, but we're not at a stage yet where we're going to make any commitment," McLeish told the BBC on Thursday.
Named after Pele -- Edson Arantes do Nascimento -- Buddle has played for the Galaxy since 2007.
His Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan came to England on loan this year, spending January to March at Everton before returning for the MLS season. However, the Galaxy were frustrated that midfielder David Beckham was injured in March during a second stint on loan at AC Milan.
