The Black Spider
16:42Football is universal, it doesnt matter where in the world you are everybody understand the world "goal" this was no exception in Moscow during the 40s. In the Russian capital was where Lev Yashin, the best goalkeeper in history started his career and without a doubt is was a really bad time to pursue that kind of dreams.
Due to the situation that was going through in the Soviet Union, Yashin had to start working on a tool factory at a young age to be able to help his struggling family. The factory was really big so they had a hockey team which is a very important sport for Russians, when the shift ended Yashin was in charge of defending the goal, but because of an injury of the goalkeeper of the football team he was forced to change the ice for the grass.
In 1949 he signed for Dinamo Moscow
team in which he become a legend after playing 24 straight years for the club
this helped him to achieve the record of most appearances in the soviet league
with 326 and incredibly he didnt kept a clean sheet in just 56 of them. It is also
said that he saved the astonishing amount of 150 penalties during his long
career.
Yashin was the
only goalkeeper that won the Ballon D´or in 1963 and without a doubt is a
really deserved award as he revolutionized the goalkeeper spot; he was one
of the goalkeepers that began the practice of
punching balls out in difficult situations instead of trying to catch them. The
black spider, as he was known for the clothes he used for the matches, is also
recognized for commanding and organizing the defense.
"The joy of seeing Yuri Gagarin flying in space is only superseded by the joy of a good penalty save."
Lev Yashin
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