And yearly individual awards. Every country has them, so this is only a sample – the best goalkeeper for 1971 was Evgeny Rudakov, Dinamo (Kiev) and the National team. It was his second award so far. The award was established in 1960 by the weekly magazine ‘Ogonyok’ – Lev Yashin won it three times, but he hardly dominated the Soviet football: Kavazashvili and Bannikov won the prize twice, and Rudakov just added a second one to his name. Unlike Yashin, the competition was still playing.
So… who is the best goalkeeper of the world? Yashin? Not in USSR, judging by the list: he won the prize in 1960, 1963, and 1966. Still leading in 1971, but Rudakov had many years more to play. And Rinat Dasaev was only a kid… Awards are misleading… or aren’t they?
So… who is the best goalkeeper of the world? Yashin? Not in USSR, judging by the list: he won the prize in 1960, 1963, and 1966. Still leading in 1971, but Rudakov had many years more to play. And Rinat Dasaev was only a kid… Awards are misleading… or aren’t they? 
