Edmundo Zura

Football player infobox
playername= Edmundo Zura
fullname = Edmundo Salomón Zura de Jesús


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1983|1|12
cityofbirth = Pimampiro
countryofbirth = Ecuador
height = height|m=1.82
currentclub = Newcastle Jets
clubnumber = 23
position = Striker
youthyears = 2000–2001
2001
youthclubs = LDU Quito
Imbabura SC
years = 2001–2002
2002–"present"
2004
2007–2008
2008–"present"
clubs = El Nacional
Imbabura SC
→ Macará "(loan)"
→ Barcelona SC "(loan)"
→ Newcastle Jets "(loan)"
caps(goals) = 00 0(0)
54 (23)
07 0(?)
05 0(0)
06 0(0)
nationalyears = 2006–"present"
nationalteam = Ecuador
nationalcaps(goals) = 07 0(1)
pcupdate = 19 September 2008
ntupdate = 1 August 2008

Edmundo Salomón Zura de Jesús (born 12 January 1983 in Pimampiro, Imbabura Province, Ecuador), also known as Edmundo Zura, is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who currently plays for the Newcastle Jets in the Australian A-League. Zura is a centre forward who is known for his superb heading, powerful shooting and ruthless finishing.cite news |url=http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=564929.html |title=Ecuador optimism restored in Rio |publisher=FIFA.com |date=2007-08-07 |accessdate=2008-07-31]

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.cite news |url=http://archivo.eluniverso.com/2007/02/19/0001/15/21100ADC25D34B6395E8FC433DFE9F75.aspx |title=Striker Edmundo Zura |publisher=El Universo |langauge=Spanish |date=2007-02-19 |accessdate=2008-07-31 ] [cite news |url=http://www.cre.com.ec/Desktop.aspx?Id=283&e=115945 |title=Striker Edmundo Zura goes to Australia |publisher=CRE Satelital Ecuador |date=2008-07-28 |accessdate=2008-07-31 |language=Spanish] His brother Rommel Zura is also a professional footballer and playing for Emelec. [cite news |url=http://archivo.eluniverso.com/2008/03/20/0001/15/ADC02AF2210D402BB54A6D5470EB1725.aspx |title=Sentenced to substitution |publisher=El Universo |langauge=Spanish |date=2007-03-20 |accessdate=2008-08-01 ]

Club career

Zura started out playing with the LDU Quito under-18 side before joining Imbabura SC 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.cite news |url=http://www.elcomercio.com/solo_texto_search.asp?id_noticia=132626&anio=2008&mes=7&dia=13 |title=The gold in Rio did not shine for all |date=2008-07-13 |accessdate=2008-07-31 |publisher=El Comercio |language=Spanish ]

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. [cite news |url=http://www.eluniverso.com/2008/07/02/0001/15/C4FE5E8966DC402993326E57E618568D.html |title=Hurtado does not appear in Barcelona; will Zura |date=2008-07-02 |accessdate=2008-07-31 |publisher=El Universo |language=Spanish ] He returned to Imbabura after only playing five games for Barcelona SC, having been given only limited opportunities by manager Ever Hugo Almeida. [cite news |url=http://www.elcomercio.com/solo_texto_search.asp?id_noticia=122953&anio=2008&mes=5&dia=8 |title=Zambrano and Zura, two attackers who prefer to ignore the Shipyard |date=2008-05-08 |accessdate=2008-07-31 |publisher=El Comercio |language=Spanish ] 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. [cite news |url=http://www.elmetrodeguayaquil.com/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=6461&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 |title=Zura is going to Australia |publisher=La Calle |date=2008-07-30 |accessdate=2008-07-31 |language=Spanish]

On 31 July 2008 Zura joined the reigning Australian champions Newcastle Jets as a marquee player.cite news |url=http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/81572,zura-is-newcastle-jets-marquee.aspx |title=Zura Is Newcastle Jets Marquee |publisher=FourFourTwo |first=Adrian |last=Ormond |date=2008-07-31 |accessdate=2008-07-31 ] cite news |url=http://theherald.yourguide.com.au/news/local/sport/afl/newcastle-jets-unveil-edmundo-zura-as-marquee-signing/1232023.aspx |title=Newcastle Jets unveil Edmundo Zura as marquee signing |first=James |last=Gardiner |publisher=The Newcastle Herald |date=2008-09-01 |accessdate=2008-09-01 ] Zura has joined the Newcastle Jets from Imbabura on a one year loan deal.cite news |url=http://www.mercuriomanta.com/sistema.php?name=noticias&file=article&sid=50574 |title=Edmundo Zura to play football in Australia |date=2008-07-29 |accessdate=2008-07-31 |publisher=El Murcurio |language=Spanish] He had to travel to Santiago, Chile to obtain an Australian tourist visa which will need to be converted to a sporting visa before he can make his A-League debut.

As with most imports coming to the A-League, he is trying to get his fitness levels up. [ [http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/83953,welcome-to-the-zura-fit-club.aspx] ]

International career

Zura earned his first cap for the Ecuadorian national team against Brazil on 10 October 2006 after being called up by Colombian coach Luis Fernando Suárez. [cite news |url=http://english.people.com.cn/200610/04/eng20061004_308764.html |title=Ecuador soccer manager Suarez calls up B-team striker |publisher=People's Daily |date=2006-10-04 |accessdate=2008-07-31 ] He scored his first international goal on 21 January 2007 against Sweden. [cite news |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/match?id=212473&cc=3436&league=FIFA.FRIENDLY |title=Match: Ecuador vs Sweden - International friendly |publisher=ESPN |accessdate=2008-07-31]

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.

Club career statistics

"(Correct as of 7 October 2008)"

Honours

With Ecuador:
* 2007 Pan American Games: Gold MedalWith Imbabura:
* Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol (2ª division) Clausura: 2006

References

External links

* [http://www.newcastlejets.com.au/default.aspx?s=njfc_playerprofile_item&pid=1693 Newcastle Jets profile]
* [http://www.ecuafutbol.org/Servicios/FichaJugadores.aspx?valor1=1003082276 FEF profile]