Alexander Vladimirovich Gusev is a hockey player who has become a true legend. In the 60-70s, he was part of the USSR national hockey team, which won millions of hearts with its professional game not only in its own country, but also far abroad. Alexander Gusev acted as a defender in the team and played under the second number. It was a great time for Soviet and Russian hockey. Real masters of their craft then played, an example of which to this day inspires modern sports youth.
Sports biography of Alexander Gusev
On January 21, 1947, hockey player Alexander Gusev was born in Moscow. His biography is very rich in all kinds of sports achievements of different years. So, he became a two-time world and European champion in 1973 and 1974. In 1976, Gusev won the title of Olympic champion. Starting in 1968, he became the champion of the USSR seven times. And these are only the most striking of his awards. In total, in the championships of the USSR Alexander Vladimirovich Gusev spent 313 matches. He scored 64 goals against the opponent. At the European, World and Olympic Games, Gusev played 42 matches. During these games, he drove 12 goals into the opponent’s goal.
Manner of play
Watching the game of Alexander Gusev, we will not see the mass of a variety of hockey feints and tricks. However, his defensive behavior was effective and extremely reliable. Team partners could always rely on him. He took the puck from the opponent, as often seemed completely laid-back and easy. In addition to good external data, such as high growth and long arms, Gusev also had an excellent click, his throw was well-set, strong and accurate.
As the players of the Canadian hockey team noted, the irreconcilable rivals of the USSR team, Gusev is a hockey player who is distinguished by harsh stiffness in the game. He had excellent speed, sharpness and almost no sense of fear, so he, when necessary, confidently entered into a power struggle. In addition, Gusev often connected to the attacks of his team, scoring many goals. For these qualities, he earned the respect of his sports opponents and the love of fans. How brilliant Gusev Alexander Vladimirovich (hockey player), photos and video reports of the matches of those years clearly show.
Features of Soviet hockey
Soviet hockey is famous for entire generations of legendary players whose names forever entered the country's sports history. Among them, of course, is the hockey player Gusev. His biography includes a game in the teams of SKA MVO and SKA Leningrad. But Alexander Vladimirovich especially likes to remember how he played in defense at CSKA in tandem with Valery Vasiliev, and in front of them was the legendary three strikers - Kharlamov, Mikhailov and Petrov. These were amazing years, Soviet hockey players then played with all their hearts, without "dirt", on the courage.
Of course, hockey is a rather tough game, but in Soviet times it was still somewhat different. Hockey, of course, was cruel, but, above all, it remained fast and combinational. Fighting on the ice field in front of the audience at that time was a rarity.
How did Gusev's career begin?
The future athlete was born on January 21, 1947 in Moscow. The first skates, according to Alexander Vladimirovich, were given to him by his father when the future hockey player was only four years old. Since then, riding in the yard of his native Pestsovaya street on compacted snow, Gusev has literally become ill with hockey. The father also made the first club for his son. At ten, Gusev enrolled in the CSKA section. In this, for the only time in his life, a kind of protection helped him. The fact is that Gusev was not initially taken to the section, but his mother, who worked as an accountant in CSKA and had some influence, persuaded coach Boris Afanasyev to change her mind.
So, thanks to the efforts of both parents, the world learned what a unique Gusev hockey player is. The career of a legendary protector has begun. Of course, not everything was easy and smooth, the skill still needed to be sharpened properly and to regain their place in the CSKA team. With special thanks, Alexander Gusev recalls everything that his second coach after Afanasyev, Andrey Vasilievich Starovoitov, taught him. He was truly masterly skating. The trainer often taught not in words but in practice, always showing himself how and what to do. In an interview, Gusev noticed that in those days, young hockey players in training were given more to play, to splash out energy. And it was much more useful than a long theory.
"A pure soul"
In the biography of Alexander Vladimirovich, it is very noteworthy that although Gusev is a hockey player who was happy to give all of himself to his beloved sport, he still never forgot about his family, although he could not devote much time to his relatives. With the money earned for the game, he was always in a hurry to buy gifts for his beloved wife Nina and his mother. I thought about myself last. The famous coach Epstein often called Gusev “a pure soul,” and striker Valery Kharlamov joked that it’s not scary to go with him. “Die yourself, and help a comrade” - these words are really about him.
The image of Gusev in the cinema
Thanks to modern cinema, we can to some extent see how Gusev was a hockey player. The image in the movie of Alexander Vladimirovich appears in the 2012 film "Legend No. 17". It tells about the legendary and truly dedicated game of the Soviet hockey team.
Although the main character of the film is Valery Kharlamov, a brilliant striker, Gusev, a hockey player and no less brilliant defender of the national team, also appears on the screen in front of the viewer. As in life, in the film he is one of Kharlamov’s closest associates and friends. Together, they begin by no means an easy path to glory. The famous hockey coach Anatoly Tarasov directs the Moscow guys to play in the Chelyabinsk region for the little-known Zvezda team. But what at first seemed a step backwards, in the end brings Kharlamov and Gusev real success.
After the rental, the film did not receive a single bad or negative review, but only compliments. In “Legend No. 17”, it was really possible to realistically show the Soviet atmosphere of the 70s and the amazing will to win the hockey players of those years.