Horacio Casarín
Horacio Casarín Garcilazo was a Mexican professional football player and coach who established himself as one of his country's most popular sports figures in the 1940s and 1950s.
A symbol for Atlante, the team Casarín served for the majority of his career, the skilled forward also played for Necaxa, León, Asturias, Club América, Real España, Monterrey and Zacatepec in his country, as well as FC Barcelona in Spain and the [Mexico national Association football|football team|Mexico national team].
Club career
At age 17, Casarín debuted for Necaxa. Over the course of his career in Mexico, Casarín scored 236 goals at the amateur and professional levels and represented his country at the 1950 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil and scored a goal against Switzerland in the tournament. A well-known anecdote involving Casarín takes place during a 1939 game between Casarin's Necaxa, and Asturias. After scoring a goal in the first few minutes of the game, defenders sought out Casarín and fouled him mercilessly, until the goalscorer was forced to leave the pitch after only twenty minutes had been played. The game ended in a 2–2 draw, but outraged Necaxa fans expressed their ire by burning Asturia's wooden stadium.With Atlante, Casarín scored 95 goals and helped the Potros win the 1946–47 season championship, while cementing his popularity by acting in the football-themed movie, "The sons of Don Venacio". Word of Casarín's role in the film spread, and the movie became a box-office success in Mexico. Casarín played his last game as a professional on 18 November 1956, scoring a goal for CF Monterrey. He scored 174 goals in the Primera División during his career.