"Tendou..."
On the pitch, Isagi Yoichi, Chigiri Hyoma, and the others already knew that Tendou would be coming to the stadium to watch them play. But when his appearance instantly caused the entire stadium to cheer, they were still deeply moved.
Once upon a time, they were all just a group of amateur players, dreaming of one day becoming professionals, earning salaries of millions per year, marrying a pin-up model, and living out their lives. A life like that was their ultimate dream.
And now, not only had Tendou become a professional player, but his weekly salary had already reached £200,000. It was rumored that Liverpool was preparing to negotiate a brand-new contract with him. Next year, Tendou's weekly salary would have a guaranteed base of £350,000, a top-tier salary. Note, that was the base salary!
The Tendou of today was no longer on the same level as them. A Premier League title, a Premier League Golden Boot, and the chance to compete for the Champions League title. The achievements Tendou had amassed in his short six-month professional career were more than many professional players could achieve in a lifetime.
"Just you wait!"
Isagi and the others were not discouraged; they were more motivated than ever. They would use this U20 World Cup as a springboard to catch up to Tendou, step by step.
"Even the neutral fans are..." Anri Teieri's beautiful eyes blinked as she listened to the cheers around her.
"Don't make a big deal out of it. He's the most eye-catching genius player of this era right now." Ego Jinpachi sat calmly on the bench, though in reality, a storm was raging in his heart. To have come this far in just six months was simply unbelievable.
"Watch closely, Tendou. I'm about to give you a shock!" Chigiri Hyoma retracted his gaze, his focus shifting back to the match.
"Since he really came, we have even more reason not to lose." Karasu Tabito smirked.
"Tch!" Barou Shoei was not in the starting lineup today. His individual style was too distinct. Known as the "problem child," he was an absolute tyrant on the field. Ego Jinpachi was continuing to use him as a wild card.
"..."
Tendou's sudden appearance had greatly excited the young men on the pitch.
The match began.
Nigeria kicked off, and on the Japanese side, Isagi Yoichi and Itoshi Rin immediately pressed forward. Today, Ego Jinpachi had set them up in a 3-5-2 formation, a very modern football concept. Midfield was the territory that had to be won!
Facing the press, Nigeria did not panic. They stuck to their game plan and passed the ball to their team's core, Onaji. This Nigerian prodigy was born in an orphanage. In fact, most of the core players of this Nigerian U20 national youth team came from that same orphanage. They grew up together, played football together, and were selected for the national youth team together.
"This is the world of 2D, alright. Even a novel wouldn't dare to write it like this," Tendou complained to himself. For a single orphanage to produce several national youth team players, the probability was so low it would be impossible in the real world.
Just as he was thinking this, Nigeria took a shot. Having just broken through the Japanese midfield, Onaji, under pressure from Aryu and Aiku, managed to get off a volley.
"Luckily, TJ isn't playing in this U20 World Cup!"
"This way, we don't have to worry about not being able to beat you!" Onaji smiled confidently as he powerfully struck the ball.
Aryu Jubei and Aiku were immediately annoyed. Although they also felt that with Tendou on their team, they would be confident against any opponent, being looked down upon so openly was still frustrating. Niko Ikki felt the same.
"Even without Tendou, you can't beat us, bug!"
With a "thud," Niko appeared in a crucial position and used his head to block the shot.
Then, the ball fell to Karasu Tabito.
Tendou wasn't even watching the live action; he was following the game through the broadcast feed on his phone. As crow feathers appeared on the screen, in the next second, Karasu won possession and immediately sent out a precise long pass. The ball went to Hiori Yo, who played a one-touch pass to one of the two strikers, Itoshi Rin. The beast, Itoshi Rin, beat three players and took a shot.
"The counter-attack is very fast," Tendou stroked his chin. From the clearance to the shot, the ball had only passed through the feet of three players. Karasu, Hiori, and Rin formed a straight line, instantly driving the ball into the opponent's territory.
As Tendou was watching, he suddenly saw his own face on the screen. The production team had cut to him at that moment. He quickly adjusted his expression, instantly getting into character.
He suddenly muttered to himself, "Well, they've made some progress, but..."
"Bang!"
Before he could finish his sentence, something incredible happened. Onaji, who had just taken the shot moments ago, had somehow tracked all the way back. With the goalkeeper helpless against Rin's powerful shot, it was Onaji who blocked it.
This was a Blue Lock tradition, after all: strikers not only had to score goals, but they also had to do the defenders' jobs.
The camera cut back to Tendou. He wore an expression that said, "I knew this would happen," a look of absolute confidence plastered on his face!
But the danger was not over. The Nigerian midfielder, Kuusou, got the ball and was immediately pressed by Mikage Reo and Isagi Yoichi. Kuusou frowned; they were giving him no chance, compressing the space around him in advance. He was forced to pass, and Karasu, anticipating it, intercepted the ball.
What followed was a counter-attack that Tendou was all too familiar with. It was a tactic Liverpool used in almost every match.
Itoshi Rin and the others instantly made forward runs, but Karasu's target was not the two strikers, but the wing-back with the number 840 jersey.
"Tch, fine, it's yours!" The look in Chigiri Hyoma's eyes made it impossible for Karasu to refuse, and he sent the ball out to the left flank. These days, Chigiri's effort was plain to see, clearly wanting to prove himself in front of Tendou.
With a "swoosh," Chigiri received the ball and sprinted down the left wing. His astonishing speed made it impossible for the Nigerian team to intercept him. Chigiri didn't get greedy, crossing the ball as soon as he reached the byline.
At this time, Itoshi Rin had already made a run forward. The opponent quickly moved to cover him, but Rin didn't receive the ball, instead letting it run past him.
In that position, Isagi Yoichi, who had been lying in wait, burst forward.
Just as the opponent was about to be breached, that man Onaji appeared out of nowhere again. Despite playing as a lone striker, the forward Onaji was active in the defensive line. He was playing like a free-roaming player all over the pitch!
However, his appearance was also within Isagi's calculations. He stuck out his foot and flicked the ball away.
Then, Bachira Meguru appeared, receiving the ball and immediately dribbling forward. Almost simultaneously, Isagi and Rin both made runs into the opponent's penalty area. The Nigerian players held their breath, trying to guess who the ball would go to.
But...
"Bang!"
Bachira shot it himself. The ball went through the defender's legs and into the bottom left corner of the Nigerian goal.
"GOAL!"