A One-on-One King, Yukimiya Kenyu, and a goal-scoring machine, Shidou Ryusei.
This selection was full-on offense. Itoshi Sae was clearly extremely confident in his own ability; he believed he could bring out the full potential of both players.
Clack!
While he was thinking, the gate to the central hall opened. Ego Jinpachi once again appeared in person before everyone, and not on a screen.
"Yo yo, thank you for your hard work, you uncut gems of strikers."
The same opening line as always. He appeared before everyone wearing a pair of Crocs. His attire was the unchanged black shirt and black slim-fit trousers, embodying a dark-lord aesthetic.
"This should be the second time I'm meeting you all in person."
"Hello, everyone."
It's been a super long time.
It's actually him in the flesh.
The others were quite surprised. Speaking of which, this four-eyed guy was really overly arrogant. Every time he met with them, it was through a screen. After several months, they had only seen this person in charge in the flesh twice.
Perhaps because this was a moment that concerned the life and death of Blue Lock, Ego was paying special attention to the upcoming match.
"First, I must explain to you again: football is a sport of scoring points."
"All value lies in scoring goals. Therefore, I have built a team with the most efficient egoists as its core."
He was holding a list in his hand. Everyone's eyes were fixed on it. Unsurprisingly, that should be the list of players for the match against the U-20 representative team.
The moment of truth was here.
"Prepare yourselves and listen up. I will now announce the starting eleven for the challenge against the Japan U-20 representative team."
"First, the lone striker, Itoshi Rin!"
Itoshi Rin?
The moment the first name came out, several people were stunned. They all felt that even if it were a single-striker formation, that person should be Tendou.
The reason Ego gave was, "Averaging 2.5 goals per game, ranked second in Blue Lock. The core of this team's offense is you."
"Next, the goalkeeper, Gagamaru Gin. Your reaction to sudden shots and your overall body elasticity are the most outstanding in terms of the stats required for a goalkeeper. You will be this team's guardian deity."
Me?
Gagamaru was dazed. He felt like his entire purpose had been changed. Since coming to Blue Lock, he had been getting further and further away from the forward position, going from the very front line to the very back.
"Gagamaru as goalkeeper..."
Chigiri and the few remaining members of Team Z looked at each other. Back when they were fighting together, Tendou had barely participated in the team's tactical meetings. The only time he had given an opinion was to have Gagamaru play as keeper. His judgment was really something else.
"Next are the two central defenders," Ego continued. "Aryu Jubei and Niko Ikki. A right center-back who can suppress opponents with his height and limb length, and a left center-back with a flexible mind who is good at tackling and spatial judgment."
"Then, the two dribbling experts responsible for advancing and retreating along the flanks, possessing speed and skill."
"Left-back, Chigiri Hyoma. Right-back, Bachira Meguru."
"Eh? I have to play on the right?" Bachira pointed a finger at his lips. If he remembered correctly, Chigiri used to play on the right, because his dominant foot was his right.
Needless to say, it was definitely because of Tendou's development of him again. This time, even Karasu and the others couldn't help but look at him. Tendou was the first person to see that Chigiri could better display his abilities on the left wing.
"Next, the converter who switches from the four-man backline to the front, the single defensive midfielder, Karasu Tabito."
"Possessing the second-best ball-holding ability in Blue Lock, and at the same time, the analytical ability to identify goal-scoring opportunities. You are the heart of this team."
Ego had high hopes for Karasu. The single defensive midfielder in modern football is not so easy to play; it requires both defensive and organizational abilities to be at a top level.
"Then, the right winger, Otoya Eita. A shadow right wing whose speed is enough to penetrate the enemy's defensive line."
"And then, sitting in the center as the offensive core, a prodigy who attacks with an unconventional touch, Nagi Seishiro. The other person is you, Isagi Yoichi, who can coexist with anyone."
"Yes!"
Finally hearing his name, Isagi immediately responded loudly.
At this point, the 11-man starting lineup was almost confirmed:
Goalkeeper: Gagamaru Gin.
Backline: Chigiri Hyoma, Aryu Jubei, Niko Ikki, Bachira Meguru.
Single Defensive Midfielder: Karasu Tabito.
Midfield: Otoya Eita, Isagi Yoichi, Nagi Seishiro.
Lone Striker: Itoshi Rin.
Of the 11-man starting lineup, there was now only one spot left.
Without waiting for Ego to speak, the others all turned to look at Tendou in unison. This final position... no one could compete with him for it.
And it was true.
Ego's gaze was fixed on Tendou. He said with conviction, "The last starting spot, Tendou Kageyoshi!"
"The best player in Blue Lock, an all-around warrior who can play any position on the field. You are the absolute core of this team."
Unlike Rin, who was the core of the team's offense. Tendou was the core of the entire team.
This was no surprise to everyone. The few matches in the adaptability test were enough for them to see Tendou's formidable strength.
"I have no arrangements for you. You can do whatever you want. Your position is libero!"
"I only have one requirement: lead this team to victory!"
"Mm." Tendou simply grunted in response.
The lineup Ego had set out was a 4-1-3-1. But because of Tendou's existence, the formation could be very flexible. How it would be, depended entirely on where Tendou appeared. He could run to the defensive midfield position and form a double pivot with Karasu. He could also run to the defense, changing the formation to a 5-2-3-1. He could also charge to the very front, changing the formation to a 4-1-4 or a 4-3-2.
In short, how the team was to play, whether on offense or defense, all depended on Tendou's choice. So he was, without a doubt, the absolute core of this team. How the match would be played... Tendou's performance could decide everything.
"The above are the Blue Lock Eleven."
The 11-man roster was out. Those who were selected were naturally overjoyed. And those who were not, like Barou, Reo, and others, were gritting their molars so hard they were about to shatter.
"I have a question, four-eyed mushroom head," Karasu raised his hand and asked. "Why weren't those two guys, Shidou and Yukimiya, selected?"
This was also the question most people had. The powerful Shidou and Yukimiya... why weren't they in the roster? Blue Lock wasn't so luxurious as to be able to leave two such strong players unused, was it?
"About this question, it's what I'm about to tell you."
Without that phone call from before, Ego would have definitely put Shidou in the starting lineup. Unlike the original story, now in Blue Lock, there was someone who could control Shidou. Under Tendou's control, Ego would even think that Shidou was more suitable than Rin to be the team's offensive core.
It was just that he was not the only one who had taken a liking to Shidou.
"My earliest decision was to have Shidou Ryusei serve as the team's lone striker," Ego said, rubbing his eyes.
As soon as these words came out, it immediately caused Rin's dissatisfaction.
...
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