Zarra, Spanish soccer great

MADRID – Telmo Zarraonandia, a storied Spain and Athletic Bilbao goalscorer of the 1940s and 1950s known simply as Zarra, has died.

He was 85. Zarra scored 38 goals in the 1950-51 season to set a Spanish league record – only equalled by Real Madrid’s Hugo Sanchez 39 years later.Zarra was the league’s top scorer for five other seasons between 1944 and 1953.Born in the small Basque town of Azua in 1921, Zarra scored 334 goals in 353 matches during 15 years with Bilbao.He scored 20 goals in 20 international appearances, the most notable being a header which earned Spain a 1-0 victory over a gifted England team at the 1950 World Cup and a place in the semi-finals for the only time in its history.Renowned Spanish soccer commentator Matias Prats reacted by uttering “Zarra, the best head in Europe after Churchill”, in reference to the forward’s prowess in the air.- Nampa-APZarra scored 38 goals in the 1950-51 season to set a Spanish league record – only equalled by Real Madrid’s Hugo Sanchez 39 years later.Zarra was the league’s top scorer for five other seasons between 1944 and 1953.Born in the small Basque town of Azua in 1921, Zarra scored 334 goals in 353 matches during 15 years with Bilbao.He scored 20 goals in 20 international appearances, the most notable being a header which earned Spain a 1-0 victory over a gifted England team at the 1950 World Cup and a place in the semi-finals for the only time in its history.Renowned Spanish soccer commentator Matias Prats reacted by uttering “Zarra, the best head in Europe after Churchill”, in reference to the forward’s prowess in the air.- Nampa-AP