Will Isagi and Team Z Clear the First Selection?
Things aren’t looking up for Isagi and Team Z as they faced a devastating defeat against Team X in episode 3 of Blue Lock. Tasting defeat right in the first match of First Selection has certainly dampened the spirits of Isagi and his teammates.
Isagi in particular bears the brunt of Team Z’s loss. He doesn’t score a goal by himself when he had the perfect window of opportunity to do so in the game, owing to his lack of courage. Instead he passes the ball to Kunigami, who does score nonetheless.
His cautious nature invites criticism from Team X’s star Baro and his own teammate, Raichi. They tell him that he’s not fit to be a striker, effectively shocking him.
As Team Z’s morale and team spirit are thrown out of gear, the chances of Isagi and his teammates making it to the next selection round seem slim. However, Team Z does prove our doubts wrong at the end of the First Selection arc.
Team Z clears the First Selection round in chapter 37 of Blue Lock, after defeating Team V with a score of 4-5. After suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of Team X, Team Z got two wins and one draw under their belt, which increased their overall team points.
Team Z’s victories in the First Selection are a result of the countless tactical meetings and special training they attended to hone their personal weapons. Let’s take a look into every Team Z’s match in First Selection.
Team Z’s performance throughout First Selection
Team Z plays four matches in total, against the four other teams in their wing. They face Team X in their first match, and they finally face Team V as their opponent in their final match.
1. Team Z versus Team X
Team Z loses to Team X with an overwhelming score of 1-5. Their defeat can be attributed to their lack of gameplay tactics and impulse in general. Meanwhile, Team X had Baro as a foundation who didn’t hesitate to score, ensuring their certain victory.
2. Team Z versus Team Y
Team Z wins against Team Y by a hair’s breadth, with a score of 2-1. Isagi and his teammates decide to focus on their personal weapons and bond as a team in this match. Team Y does go all-offensive toward the end, but they are crushed by Isagi’s egoism in the end.
What is the First Selection Program in Blue Lock?
3. Team Z versus Team W
This is the only match where Team Z ends up in a draw with the other team, with a score of 4-4. The Wanima brothers’ synchronization and Kuon betrayal overwhelm Team Z, but the team manages to pull through because of Chigiri’s personal weapon, immense speed.
4.Team Z versus Team V
Team Z faces the undefeated Team V in their final match. Team V quickly dominates the game early on due to their legendary trio: Zantestsu, Nagi, and Reo. But Bachira’s competitiveness and Isagi’s direct shot lands them their sweet victory, with a score of 5-4.
About Blue Lock
Blue Lock is a Japanese manga series written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura. It has been serialized in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine since August 2018. Blue Lock won the 45th Kodansha Manga Award in the shōnen category in 2021.
The story begins with Japan’s elimination from the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which prompts the Japanese Football Union to start a program scouting high school players who will begin training in preparation for the 2022 Cup.
Isagi Youichi, a forward, receives an invitation to this program soon after his team loses the chance to go to Nationals because he passed to his less-skilled teammate.
Their coach will be Ego Jinpachi, who intends to “destroy Japanese loser football” by introducing a radical new training regimen: isolate 300 young strikers in a prison-like institution called “Blue Lock”.
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