The Galaxy’s MLS Cup defense just got an enormous lift from a familiar source.
After spending a year out of the spotlight in the German second division, Edson Buddle is on his way back to MLS and the bright lights of LA, rejoining the Galaxy on Wednesday after terminating his contract with FC Ingolstadt by mutual consent. Per league and club policy, terms of the deal, which will be finalized once the club receives his International Transfer Certificate, were not released.
Buddle’s addition gives LA arguably the league’s best forward tandem, as he and Irishman Robbie Keane will lead a line that should feast on the service provided by Landon Donovan and David Beckham.
WATCH: Buddle returns to LA
“I am thrilled to be able to return to MLS and a club that has meant so much to me in my career,” Buddle said in a statement. “When I left for Germany last winter, I said that I hoped to be able to one day return to the Galaxy and help lead the club to an MLS Cup championship. That day is today and I look forward to the challenges that now lie ahead.”
Buddle, 30, joined Ingolstadt in January 2011 after scoring a career-high 17 goals for LA and earning a roster spot on the US team that competed at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He scored nine goals during his time in Germany, but began looking for a new club this winter, embarking on trials at Everton and West Ham but leaving both clubs without a deal.
Instead, Buddle will return to LA, where the former Columbus, New York and Toronto striker provides an ideal partner for Keane, who joined the club as a third Designated Player last fall and is currently on loan at Aston Villa. Buddle has 90 career MLS goals and enjoyed the most productive years of his career with the Galaxy under manager Bruce Arena, tallying 39 goals during the regular season and playoffs from 2008-2010. Buddle also has 10 caps for the US, scoring three goals.
"We’re really excited to have Edson re-joining the LA Galaxy,” Arena said in a press release. “He has been an outstanding player for us in the past and we look forward to him continuing that success for many years to come."
Buddle will join the Galaxy in Carson, Calif., where they are beginning preseason preparations for 2012.
