Edmundo Zura
Encyclopedia
Edmundo Salomón Zura de Jesús (born January 12, 1983 in Pimampiro
, Imbabura
), is an Ecuador
ian professional footballer
who plays for El Nacional
. Zura is a centre forward
who is known for his superb heading, powerful shooting and ruthless finishing.
Zura celebrates his goals by donning a blue Spider-Man
style wrestling mask as a tribute to Otilino Tenorio
who was killed in a car accident. His brother Rommel Zura
is also a professional footballer and playing for Emelec
.
where he played in the lower divisions. He then moved to El Nacional
for six months before rejoining Imbabura SC. He is currently under contract with Imbabura SC until 2011.
Zura was loaned out to Macará
for a short period in 2004 where he played in the top division of Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol
before returning to play for Imbabura in the Serie B
. He helped Imbabura secure its promotion to the Serie A during the 2006 Clausura
where he was the leagues top scorer with 18 goals.
Following his impressive displays at the 2007 Pan American Games
, Zura was again loaned out, this time to Barcelona SC
of Guayaquil
. He joined the Ecudorian giants in December 2007 but his contract was not extended when it expired on 30 June 2008. He returned to Imbabura after only playing five games for Barcelona SC, having been given only limited opportunities by manager Ever Hugo Almeida
. After his return to Imbabura he played several games in the Serie B but made it clear that he intended to leave and play abroad.
On 31 July 2008 Zura joined the reigning Australian champions Newcastle Jets as a marquee player. Zura has joined the Newcastle Jets from Imbabura on a one year loan deal. He had to travel to Santiago
, Chile
to obtain an Australian tourist visa which was to be converted to a sporting visa before he could make his A-League
debut. As with most imports coming to the A-League, he tried to get his fitness levels up to compete in the physical and up-tempo A-League style of play.
On 3 November 2008, Newcastle Jets and the striker parted ways. The Ecuadorean requested a mutual termination of his one-year loan deal, citing personal reasons.
Zura joined Major League Soccer
club San Jose Earthquakes
via loan on 15 August 2011. The loan was terminated by San Jose on 31 August 2011 due to Zura's lack of fitness.
against Brazil
on 10 October 2006 after being called up by Colombia
n coach Luis Fernando Suárez
. He scored his first international goal on 21 January 2007 against Sweden
.
Zura captained Ecuador's
under-18 side to victory as an overage player at the 2007 Pan American Games
. He scored three goals including the match winning penalty in the final as Ecuador won their first international tournament. He was regarded as Ecuador's most impressive player of the tournament.
Pimampiro
Pimampiro is the seat of Pimampiro Canton, Imbabura Province, Ecuador....
, Imbabura
Imbabura Province
Imbabura is a province in Ecuador. The capital is Ibarra. The people of the province speak Spanish and the Imbaburan Quechua language.Imbabura Volcano is located in the province. Best reached from the town of La Esperanza, the 4,609-meter-high mountain can be climbed in a single day.- Cantons...
), is an Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ian professional footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who plays for El Nacional
Club Deportivo El Nacional
Club Deportivo "El Nacional" is a Ecuadorian sports club from Quito, known best for their professional football team. The team currently plays in the Serie A, the top-flight football league in the country....
. Zura is a centre forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
who is known for his superb heading, powerful shooting and ruthless finishing.
Zura celebrates his goals by donning a blue Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
style wrestling mask as a tribute to Otilino Tenorio
Otilino Tenorio
Otilino Tenorio was an Ecuadorian footballer.-Biography:Tenorio was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador. His nickname was 'Spiderman', because when he scored a goal in a football match he would cover his head with a Spider-Man mask as he celebrated.He joined Emelec of Guayaquil when he was eleven, and went...
who was killed in a car accident. His brother Rommel Zura
Rommel Zura
Rommel Zura is an Ecuadorian footballer who plays as a Defender for Técnico Universitario in the Ecuadorian Football League.-External links:*...
is also a professional footballer and playing for Emelec
Club Sport Emelec
Club Sport Emelec is a Ecuadorian sports club based in Guayaquil that is best known for their professional football team. The football team plays in the Ecuadorian Serie A, the highest level of professional football in the country....
.
Club career
Zura started out playing with the LDU Quito under-18 side before joining Imbabura SCSporting Club Imbabura
Imbabura Sporting Club is a professional football club based in Ibarra, Ecuador. They are currently the runner-up of the 2010 Serie B and will play in the Serie A for the 2011 season.-Current squad:-External links:*...
where he played in the lower divisions. He then moved to El Nacional
Club Deportivo El Nacional
Club Deportivo "El Nacional" is a Ecuadorian sports club from Quito, known best for their professional football team. The team currently plays in the Serie A, the top-flight football league in the country....
for six months before rejoining Imbabura SC. He is currently under contract with Imbabura SC until 2011.
Zura was loaned out to Macará
Club Social y Deportivo Macará
Club Social y Deportivo Macará is a professional football club based in Ambato, Ecuador. Their home stadium is Bellavista, which they share with city rivals Técnico Universitario.-Foundation:...
for a short period in 2004 where he played in the top division of Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol
Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol
The Primera Categoría Serie A, simply known as the Serie A or the Primera A, is a professional football league in Ecuador. At the top of the Ecuadorian football league system, it is the country's premier and primary football competition...
before returning to play for Imbabura in the Serie B
Serie B (Ecuador)
The Primera Categoría Serie B, shorten to Serie B or Primera B, is a professional football league in Ecuador. It sits on the second tier of the Ecuadorian football league system. Contested by twelve clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the top-flight Serie A and the bottom...
. He helped Imbabura secure its promotion to the Serie A during the 2006 Clausura
Apertura and Clausura
The Apertura and Clausura tournaments are a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional European football season from August to May is divided in two sections per season, each with its own champion. Apertura and Clausura are the Spanish words for...
where he was the leagues top scorer with 18 goals.
Following his impressive displays at the 2007 Pan American Games
Football at the 2007 Pan American Games
The football tournaments at the 15th Pan American Games were held in Rio de Janeiro in July 2007. The fifteenth edition of the men's competition was played by 12 teams, while the third edition of the women's tournament was played by 10 countries....
, Zura was again loaned out, this time to Barcelona SC
Barcelona Sporting Club
Barcelona Sporting Club is an Ecuadorian sports club based in Guayaquil, known best for its professional football team. They currently play in the Ecuadorian Serie A, the highest level of football in the country, and hold the distinction of being the only team to have never been relegated.With...
of Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
. He joined the Ecudorian giants in December 2007 but his contract was not extended when it expired on 30 June 2008. He returned to Imbabura after only playing five games for Barcelona SC, having been given only limited opportunities by manager Ever Hugo Almeida
Ever Hugo Almeida
Ever Hugo Almeida ; naturalized Paraguayan in 1975, is a former football goalkeeper and now is the national coach of Guatemala....
. After his return to Imbabura he played several games in the Serie B but made it clear that he intended to leave and play abroad.
On 31 July 2008 Zura joined the reigning Australian champions Newcastle Jets as a marquee player. Zura has joined the Newcastle Jets from Imbabura on a one year loan deal. He had to travel to Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
to obtain an Australian tourist visa which was to be converted to a sporting visa before he could make his A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
debut. As with most imports coming to the A-League, he tried to get his fitness levels up to compete in the physical and up-tempo A-League style of play.
On 3 November 2008, Newcastle Jets and the striker parted ways. The Ecuadorean requested a mutual termination of his one-year loan deal, citing personal reasons.
Zura joined Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
club San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
via loan on 15 August 2011. The loan was terminated by San Jose on 31 August 2011 due to Zura's lack of fitness.
International career
Zura earned his first cap for the Ecuadorian national teamEcuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
on 10 October 2006 after being called up by Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n coach Luis Fernando Suárez
Luis Fernando Suárez
Luis Fernando Suárez is a Colombian retired football player and current manager of Honduras.Suárez led the Ecuador national football team to the round of 16 at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and won the 1999 Colombian championship with Atlético Nacional. In 2005, he led Ecuador to their second...
. He scored his first international goal on 21 January 2007 against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
.
Zura captained Ecuador's
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
under-18 side to victory as an overage player at the 2007 Pan American Games
Football at the 2007 Pan American Games
The football tournaments at the 15th Pan American Games were held in Rio de Janeiro in July 2007. The fifteenth edition of the men's competition was played by 12 teams, while the third edition of the women's tournament was played by 10 countries....
. He scored three goals including the match winning penalty in the final as Ecuador won their first international tournament. He was regarded as Ecuador's most impressive player of the tournament.
Club career statistics
(Correct as of 7 October 2008)| Club | League | Season | League | Finals | Asia | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | |||
| Macará Club Social y Deportivo Macará Club Social y Deportivo Macará is a professional football club based in Ambato, Ecuador. Their home stadium is Bellavista, which they share with city rivals Técnico Universitario.-Foundation:... |
Campeonato Serie A | 2004 | 7 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 7 | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Imbabura SC Sporting Club Imbabura Imbabura Sporting Club is a professional football club based in Ibarra, Ecuador. They are currently the runner-up of the 2010 Serie B and will play in the Serie A for the 2011 season.-Current squad:-External links:*... |
Campeonato Serie B | 2006 | 32 | 18 | ||||||||||
| 32 | 18 | |||||||||||||
| Campeonato Serie A | 2007 | 20 | 5 | |||||||||||
| 20 | 5 | |||||||||||||
| Barcelona SC Barcelona Sporting Club Barcelona Sporting Club is an Ecuadorian sports club based in Guayaquil, known best for its professional football team. They currently play in the Ecuadorian Serie A, the highest level of football in the country, and hold the distinction of being the only team to have never been relegated.With... |
Campeonato Serie A | 2008 | 5 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 5 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Imbabura SC Sporting Club Imbabura Imbabura Sporting Club is a professional football club based in Ibarra, Ecuador. They are currently the runner-up of the 2010 Serie B and will play in the Serie A for the 2011 season.-Current squad:-External links:*... |
Campeonato Serie B | 2008 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Newcastle Jets | A-League A-League The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company... |
2008-09 A-League 2008-09 The 2008–09 A-League season was the fourth season of the Australasian A-League association football competition. Two new clubs, North Queensland Thunder and Gold Coast Galaxy had received tentative licences from the FFA but these were revoked for the 2008–09 season on 12 March 2008. Expansion... |
7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 67 | 23 | 0 | |||||||||||
National Team
-
Ecuador U-20Ecuador national under-20 football teamThe Ecuadorian national under-20 football team represents Ecuador in international under-20 football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation.-History:...
- Pan American GamesFootball at the 2007 Pan American GamesThe football tournaments at the 15th Pan American Games were held in Rio de Janeiro in July 2007. The fifteenth edition of the men's competition was played by 12 teams, while the third edition of the women's tournament was played by 10 countries....
: Gold Medal
- Pan American Games
Club
ImbaburaSporting Club Imbabura
Imbabura Sporting Club is a professional football club based in Ibarra, Ecuador. They are currently the runner-up of the 2010 Serie B and will play in the Serie A for the 2011 season.-Current squad:-External links:*...
-
- Campeonato Ecuatoriano de FútbolCampeonato Ecuatoriano de FútbolThe Primera Categoría Serie A, simply known as the Serie A or the Primera A, is a professional football league in Ecuador. At the top of the Ecuadorian football league system, it is the country's premier and primary football competition...
(2ª division) Clausura: 2006
- Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol