Both teams walk out of the tunnel in two lines. The national youth team hasn't made any substitutions, and neither has the Blue Lock team. The audience in the stands erupts in a warm cheer. The national youth team's fans haven't given up hope.
Even though the score is 3-1, the national youth team has a 65% possession rate compared to Blue Lock's 35%. The corner kick ratio is 3-1. In terms of shots on goal, the national youth team fired 10 shots, 3 of which were on target. The Blue Lock team? They only took 5 shots in the first half, but 3 of them were on target, and they scored 3 goals. The fans believe that as long as the national youth team has a little more luck in the second half, they will definitely have a chance to catch up.
This match is not like a regular J-League match, where there must be a winner. After regular time is up, they will play an extra time period, and if they still don't have a winner, they will go to a penalty shootout. In short, they must have a clear winner.
"The second half has begun, and neither team has made any substitutions."
"I don't know why Jinpachi Ego hasn't made a change. Maybe he hasn't found a solution yet." The commentator had done his prep work before the match. Although Jinpachi Ego is the head of Blue Lock, he only got his coaching license this year. In short, this guy has no coaching experience at all, which is a major no-no in the world of football.
Here we go, woohoo!
"I woke up from my deathbed in shock, only to find that my summer vacation is not over yet."
"Blue Lock, activate!"
"By the way, are we only going to see this one match this season?"
"Probably. There are only about a dozen episodes. The first five were for the selection test, and the rest will probably be this match."
In the real world, a week has passed. However, in the Blue Lock world, only fifteen minutes have gone by. For the audience in the real world, Tendou's game-winning goal in the last episode happened a week ago.
Back to the match.
Right from the get-go, Tendou suddenly pushes up from the back, combining with Tabito Karasu. Eita Otoya dribbles to the right side of the box. Just as he's about to cut inside, he runs into the tattooed monk, Rin Itoshi. The former, under Rin's pressure, heads for the end line, then makes a pass back to the top of the box. Rin Itoshi takes a powerful shot from the edge of the box. Unfortunately, it can't get through the crowded penalty box.
The national youth team's offense begins. The ball goes from Itsuki Wakatsuki to Sae Itoshi. Tabito Karasu tries to steal it, and Sae Itoshi uses a drible con la suela to get past him. Sae Itoshi doesn't even bother to call him "slowpoke." He continues to dribble the ball forward.
"Stop him!" Tabito Karasu warns his teammates.
In an instant, Jingo Raichi and Hyoma Chigiri charge towards Sae Itoshi with everything they have.
"Too green," Sae Itoshi thinks to himself.
Tap, tap...
With the inside of his right foot, he pushes the ball, then with his left foot, he pushes it again. The ball changes direction twice under his feet, and Sae Itoshi gets past Hyoma Chigiri. This is the classic drible con la suela. While it's not as astounding as Tendou's one-footed version, its strength lies in Sae Itoshi's skills and solid footwork. Hyoma Chigiri couldn't stop him for long and his defense was torn apart.
"Damn it."
Speed, explosive power, footwork, and a big-picture view... he's far superior to the Blue Lock players in every way. This is the professional level. However, even though he's told to treat him like another Tendou, Hyoma Chigiri doesn't feel the same pressure from Sae Itoshi.
"You just wait!" Hyoma Chigiri shouts as he turns and chases after him. He's not happy with Jinpachi Ego's plan and doesn't want to be subbed off so early. But for the sake of winning, he's willing to follow through. He's willing to use all of his stamina to the last drop. His chase is having an effect. No, to be more precise, Sae Itoshi isn't wary of Hyoma Chigiri, but of Tendou, who is charging at him from the side.
Thump...
Without a moment's hesitation, Sae Itoshi sends a long pass to the left side. Just as the ball arrives, Yo Hiori gets there. This is a truly incredible pass. Yo Hiori easily traps the ball and then charges towards Hyoma Chigiri.
"Are you so focused on Sae Itoshi that you don't even see me as a threat?"
"You're really looking down on me!"
Yo Hiori looks at Tendou in the distance, takes a deep breath, and then focuses on the opponent in front of him.
"Your glasses are quite stylish!" Rin Itoshi says, admiringly, staring at Yo Hiori's glasses. Unlike in his daily life, when he's playing football, Yo Hiori wears tactical goggles like Soldier 76.
"Thanks for the compliment, but..." Yo Hiori suddenly accelerates. "Today, I'm your opponent. Don't try to get close to me!" Rin Itoshi is shaken off. The "King of One-on-One" of Blue Lock, Yo Hiori, lives up to his name.
From about twenty meters from the goal, Yo Hiori cuts inside and takes a shot.
"The no-lift shot!" As he confidently kicks the ball, it roars into the air, but it doesn't fly over the crossbar and into the stands. It suddenly drops after reaching a certain height. A low trajectory shot with the inside of his foot that suddenly drops near the goal. All these characteristics tell Tendou that this is a knuckleball. But what makes this shot difficult is that Yo Hiori is doing it while running.
Tap!
However, even so, it's still saved by Gin Gagamaru. His reaction is too fast, and his jumping speed and height are incredible.
But the crisis isn't over. Sendou Shuto quickly charges into the box and runs to the ball's landing spot. This attracts a lot of defensive attention. And then, Ryusei Shidou, the "Fox of the Penalty Box," suddenly makes a run, gets ahead of Sendou Shuto, and scores with a skillful volley. The shot is too close, and even with Gin Gagamaru's quick reaction, there's nothing he can do.
Goal!
Just a few minutes into the second half, the national youth team scores.
The score is 3-2!
Jingo Raichi and the others grab their heads in frustration.
"Goal!"
"Less than five minutes into the second half, the national youth team scores!"
"It was a precise long pass from Sae Itoshi to Yo Hiori, who created a scoring opportunity in a one-on-one, and finally, Ryusei Shidou finished with a volley!"
"Itoshi's constant threat on Tendou takes too much energy from him, so he wasn't able to protect the box in time. This is one of the reasons they conceded a goal."
"It seems the national youth team has found a way to deal with Tendou during halftime."
The commentator and guest are shouting passionately. The cheers from the crowd erupt like a mountain flood after the national youth team's goal. The Blue Lock team is in the lead, but they feel a lot of pressure. There's a huge difference between a one-goal lead and a two-goal lead.
...
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