This Is Why He's Itoshi Sae's Brother

The fans cheered on, filling the stadium with thunderous applause. The commentators exchanged playful banter as the second half was about to begin. With a sharp whistle, the second half kicked off.

Itoshi Sae wasted no time, pinging a diagonal ball straight to Itoshi Rin. Rin smoothly controlled it with one touch, then swiftly passed it back using a backheel flick.

The Blue Lock team watched as Sae dribbled through Nagi and Kurona then Reo with impossible ease.

Once he reached the edge of the penalty area, he made a precise cross to Rin on the right flank.

Chigiri was running off there to intercept the cross.

Just as Chigiri prepared to meet the ball, Rin, anticipating Chigiri's run, flicked it with the outside of his right boot. The ball took a sharp turn, leaving Chigiri momentarily stunned, and rolled perfectly into the path of Niko, who gained possession of the ball.

A quick one-two with Tokimitsu allowed him to push past Haru with a strong shoulder charge.

Wakatsuki lunged for a desperate challenge, but Tokimitsu used his superior strength to hold him off. Another shoulder charge would knock Wakatsuki to the ground.

The U-20 players were relentless in their pursuit to regain possession and did not allow the Blue Lock team any chances to take control of the game.

Both teams' physicality was aggressive, but within acceptable limits as long as they didn't cross the line with excessive force or pull on someone's jersey.

Aiku, the best defender in Japan, launched himself with a perfectly timed slide tackle, dispossessing Tokimitsu just as he was about to pass the ball to Murano.

The ball bounced free and found Itoshi Rin, now positioned near the center circle.

Reo charged at Rin, determined to stop him. But Rin proved his brilliance with an elastico nutmeg, slipping the ball between Reo's legs and sprinting past him.

"Rin unleashes a left-footed shot from thirty yards out! This isn't a shot, it's a missile! The goalkeeper doesn't even have time to blink as the ball explodes off the crossbar! But wait! It bounces down! IT'S IN! GOALLLLL!!!!" The commentator yelled as Rin scored another goal.

The co-commentator chimed in. "Itoshi Rin has pulled one back for Blue Lock! The score is now 2-3!"

"YEEAAAHHH!!!" Rin let out a loud, victorious scream.

"Great shot," Sou praised as he gave Rin a pat on the back.

"He's that genius brother, after all," Aiku said.

"What do you think about it, big brother?" Rin asked eagerly.

"We're still behind in score, so go for a hat-trick," Sae told him.

As they headed towards their positions...

"There's no trophy or cup in this match," Aiku said, his voice filled with determination. "Our careers are on the line!"

In the commentary box...

"The teamwork and fluidity that transitioned from the midfield to the goal showcase the true potential of this team," the co-commentator added. "They're definitely taking this more seriously now. Their work rate has significantly improved since the second half began."

"It makes you wonder what happened over there during halftime," the other said. 

"Now let's see how Team Blue Lock is going to respond." Natsui added.

___

U-20 Japan Nation Team vs. Blue Lock Eleven

Minute 50'

U-20 Japan 2-3 Blue Lock

Kick-off!!

The game resumed with a Blue Lock kick-off, and tensions skyrocketed as they realized that a single goal was all the U-20 team needed to equalize the score.

The pace of the game slowed down, especially in the midfield, where fatigue seemed to have taken over. However, they were determined to keep the momentum going.

Despite the game's momentum being on the U-20's side, Blue Lock surprisingly chose to play it safe by relying on long passes and through balls to break down the U-20's tight defense.

Their strategy proved effective when Nagi received a long pass from Hiori and had a big chance in the 55th minute.

Unfortunately, luck was not on his side, as the U-20 goalkeeper managed to save his powerful shot.

The 60th minute arrived soon enough, when Murano swiftly dribbled past Wakatsuki and pulled off a marseille turn over Sou.

However, his momentum was abruptly stopped by a forceful and aggressive tackle from Oliver Aiku, leaving both players seemingly injured and in pain.

The referee quickly made a call, giving Blue Lock a free kick and issuing Aiku a yellow card for his aggressive tackle. It was a tense moment, but ultimately, Blue Lock came out on top.

Blue Lock had a rare opportunity to widen their lead in the game.

Despite being over 35 yards away from the goal, they could potentially score a game-winning goal if they could capitalize on this free-kick and send their players sprinting into the penalty box.

The stakes were high, and everyone could feel the tension in the air.

The tension was clear, and the air was thick with anticipation as Ego prepared his team for the free-kick. He made two bold substitutions, adding more suspense to the already intense atmosphere before the free-kick.

Just as they were about to take the kick, the fourth official appeared with the number board, announcing another substitution. The fourth official uses the number board to display the shirt numbers of players being substituted on and off the pitch.

Number 5, Hyouma Chigiri, who looked exhausted, was replaced by number 14, Meguru Bachira. Then, surprisingly, number 8, Mikage Reo, was also taken off and replaced by number 19, Yoichi Isagi. It was a risky move, as Blue Lock had lost key players from both midfield and defense.

But it was all or nothing now, as the referee blew his whistle to restart the action.

"This is getting interesting," the commentator said. 

"We've seen five goals in this match already, but still, no clear winner has emerged. This match is really intense!"

In that crucial moment of the match against the U-20, the atmosphere in the stadium was electric, and every fan was at the edge of their seat, waiting to see how it would all unfold.

Murano stepped up to take the set-piece...

U-20 Japan Nation Team vs. Blue Lock Eleven

Minute 61'

U-20 Japan 2-3 Blue Lock