"Goal!"
"An assist from Itoshi, a goal from Ryusei Shidou!"
"The national youth team has been on the attack for 30 minutes and finally gets their first goal of the match!"
"2-1! The national youth team is still one goal behind!"
"There's still plenty of time left, and the game is still full of suspense!"
The passionate voice of the live commentator echoes across the country. If you were to ask who they wanted to win this match, the answer would be simple. Without a doubt, everyone hopes the national youth team wins. If they were to lose to a team of amateurs from Blue Lock, it would only prove that the national youth team is a disappointment. The Youth World Cup is coming up soon, and they don't want to suffer a painful defeat like this.
Furthermore, the national youth team has the Football Association behind them. The commentators depend on the Association for their livelihoods.
For the fans, things are much simpler. The national youth team has players they've watched grow up, like Akito Shidou and the four "steel walls" in the defense. They have a good fan base and naturally, they want the national youth team to win. Fans are pure in their support. For this match, they hope the national youth team wins, but also that the Blue Lock team performs well so that more talent can be absorbed to strengthen the national youth team. That's what they want to see, and nothing more.
A huge cheer erupts from the crowd.
"Damn it!"
Hearing the cheers, Hyoma Chigiri and the others clench their fists. Leaving aside the monsters Tendou and Sae Itoshi, all of them were outdone by Ryusei Shidou in this play. This is especially frustrating for the Blue Lock strikers.
"You're still so slow. Why do you still show up here without any shame?" Sae Itoshi says to his younger brother, Rin, as the ball finally hits the net. His tone is flat, and his face is cold, as if he truly hates his brother.
Rin's face fills with rage, but he can only watch as Sae Itoshi and Ryusei Shidou celebrate before returning to the center circle.
"Don't let his words get to you, Rin."
And Tendou takes this opportunity to speak to Rin Itoshi for the first time. Getting a little presence boost at a time like this might not give him a lot of popularity points, but every little bit counts, right?
"Calm down. Think about why he only talked to you."
Tendou's words successfully calm Rin down. Recalling his previous conversation with Tendou, he feels that his older brother is still trying to provoke him. He wants Rin to hate him and to use that hatred as a reason to play football. But Rin is still so angry! Rin thinks that if Tendou were his older brother, it would be a hundred times better than his actual brother, with whom he shares a family name.
Three minutes later, the national youth team charges again. By their stance, it's clear they want to tie the game before halftime. Sae Itoshi takes a long shot from 28 meters out, but because Tendou anticipated the move and blocked his path, the shooting angle is limited. The ball clangs off the crossbar and flies high.
From the bench, Anri Teieri and the others let out a collective sigh of relief. But they quickly compose themselves and cheer loudly to support their teammates and players. Their voices are limited, however, and are completely drowned out by the 60,000 spectators.
Only a few of the Blue Lock players' families are cheering enthusiastically. Oh, and some female fans who are obsessed with Tendou's looks have decisively switched sides. For them, looks are justice! And Tendou is simply too handsome.
The match continues. Even though the Blue Lock team is one goal ahead, the national youth team completely dominates the field. The commentator keeps praising how the substitution by head coach was like an infusion of fresh energy.
"The situation for the Blue Lock team is not looking good."
"After the substitution, the national youth team's offense is much sharper, especially on the left flank. The newly-entered player, Yukimiya, has already posed two threats."
"The Blue Lock team's wingback has been completely outplayed by him on his own."
"Their defense looks precarious. If it weren't for player Tendou's numerous clearances, the score would likely have been tied!"
After the 30-minute mark, the situation on the field is indeed unfavorable for the Blue Lock team. While Yukimiya hasn't scored yet, he has caused a lot of trouble on the left wing. This "King of One-on-One" is almost unbeatable in a one-on-one situation. Except for Tendou.
But Sae Itoshi is very smart. He always gives the ball to Yukimiya only after he's drawn Tendou away. Tendou tells his teammates to fall back and retreat to their half of the field to get through this period. The national youth team doesn't take advantage and push up. They're also wary of Tendou's counter-attack. The two goals the national youth team conceded at the beginning of the match were both scored by Blue Lock through counter-attacks.
Unlike the original story, Sae Itoshi has chosen two of the top six Blue Lock players for his team. Even though they aren't the highest-ranked two, their individual styles are very strong. With Sae in command, the national youth team's attacking power has gone up by more than one level. He didn't follow Jinpachi Ego's plan for them to attack head-on. Instead, he has them playing a solid defensive counter-attack game. This style of football may not be flashy or elegant, but it's practical and effective.
The famous Leicester City miracle was achieved with this exact tactic, winning the Premier League title. In the 2015-16 season, bookmakers gave Leicester City a ludicrous 5000-to-1 odds to win the league! What does this mean? The odds were higher than for the national football team to even make it into the World Cup! But the "Foxes" of Leicester City, with their defensive counter-attacks and tenacious resilience, completed one of the greatest upsets in football history. Their top striker, Jamie Vardy, joined the club on a contract worth only a mere 1 million pounds. Before he joined the Foxes, Vardy was just an amateur player who struggled to make ends meet. But under his leadership, Leicester City pulled off the ultimate upset.
Many people say that tiki-taka is the greatest invention in modern football. It's flashy and elegant; everyone who sees it is captivated. Fans call it a work of art, and they sing the praises of this tactic and of Pep Guardiola and his Barcelona team. They don't realize that for tiki-taka to work, you need a group of supremely talented players. Fans praise Guardiola as a tactical genius with an unbridled imagination. But have they looked at the teams he's coached? Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City... they are all clubs with unlimited funds. Of course, they can afford to be elegant and flashy. Let's see him try to coach a Chinese Super League team!
So, while tiki-taka is a beautiful work of art, the greatest miracles in world football have always been created through practical defensive counter-attacks.
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