The picture by Volkov Evgeni

At the famous "Match of the Century" at Wembley Stadium Lev Yashin did not miss a ball. For his black goalkeeper uniform and acrobatic jumps, he was called as the "Black Panther", and for his long arms - the "Black Spider".

Lev Yashin's playing manner was special: in the early 1950s a new style of playing at the exits was spread among goalkeepers - throughout the penalty area, which Yashin adopted and developed then. But at that time the goalkeeper's attempt to play as a defender was considered in the USSR only as a distraction from the main function of defending the goal. Dynamo coach Mikhail Yakushin sometimes had to listen to the lectures at the USSR Sports Committee about the "circus" in the goalkeeper's game.
But soon the new style began to spread gradually - along with the success of the national team and its goalkeeper. The experts admitted that the game throughout the penalty area was successful thanks to Lev's ability to read the game. He could control the ball and choose a partner to pass simultaneously. He was one of the first to practice knocking the ball in acute situations, instead of trying to fix it. Experts believed that Yashin was second only to Alexei Khomich in reaction and jumping ability!