Lev Yashin is widely seen by many as the greatest goalkeeper in football history, and the former Soviet Union goalie still remains as the only player in his position to win the Ballon d'Or. He was nothing short of remarkable during his prime years, winning the European Goalkeeper of the Year award an astonishing 9 years. For many, he still remains as the only superstar goalkeeper that football has ever seen.
After Yashin, there has been only one Soviet Union goalkeeper that came close to replicating his heroics. That player's name was Rinat Dasayev, who is considered as the Soviet Union's second best goalkeeper in history. He played for the likes of Volgar Astrakhan, Spartak Moscow, and Sevilla during his 15 year journey in football.
Dasayev was regarded as one of the world's best goalkeepers during the 80's, and he was even awarded the title of the World’s Best Goalkeeper of the Year award in 1988 by the IFFHS. Their 1999 poll on the greatest European goalkeeper of the twentieth century saw Dasayev ranked 16th along with Italian goalie Gianpiero Combi. The legendary Soviet keeper had featured in Pelé's iconic list of top 125 greatest living footballers as well.
Let us now look at what made Dasayev a specialist in his position, and how he fared during his career.
Playing style
Dayasev's exceptional qualities as a goalkeeper saw him receive several nicknames during his playing career, primarily "The Iron Curtain" and "The Cat". At the height of his career during the 80's, there were very few keepers who were as good as him. The former Soviet Union star not only excelled at shot-stopping, but also possessed a special sudden long-throw ability as well. This was a trademark mark of the player that allowed his team to engage in rapid and devastating counter-attacks from the back.
The former Sevilla man also had a signature diving technique which saw him attempt saves with only one arm. This was a similar technique to his Italian contemporary Franco Tancredi, who's considered as one of the finest goalkeepers to have come from Italy.
Coming to his physique, Dayasev was a tall and well-rounded goalkeeper with a slender build. The former Soviet keeper had excellent positional sense as well, often positioning himself in very deep positions, rarely straying from his goal-line, and preferring to remain between the posts throughout the course of a match. His goalkeeping style gave emphasis to being effective and efficient, rather than being a spectacular eye-pleasing shot stopper. In addition to these goalkeeping traits, Dayasev did a commendable job when it came to organising his defense during games.
Career overview
Dayasev began his footballing journey with Russian side Volgar Astrakhan, but it was at Spartak Moscow that he spent the majority of his career. He managed to win the Soviet Championship in 1979 and 1987 with the club. His individual heroics were also rewarded, with Dayasev being named Best Soviet Goalkeeper by Ogonyok (Огонëк) magazine in 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988. The year of 1982 in particular saw the very best of him, resulting in his Soviet Footballer of the Year award win.
The final phase of his career took him to Spain, as he spent his last 3 years in football with Sevilla. He eventually announced his retirement in 1991.
Dayasev was a prominent figure for the national side as well, with his most notable Achievement being the 1980 Summer Olympics bronze medal win with his nation. The Soviet goalie and his teammates were on the brink of making history in the 1988 Euro Cup, but lost the finals to Holland. He also appeared in 3 World Cups ( 1982, 1986 and 1990 with the Soviet Union.
The Spartak Moscow legend earned 91 caps during a 11 year stint with his Nation side, leaving with iconic status as their second-most capped player in history.
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