Blue Lock: 5 Brilliant Plays That Proved Isagi Carried Team Z

During the group phase, Blue Lock’s rules placed five teams into a round-robin tournament. Standings were determined by a standard points system: a win awarded three points, a draw one point, and a loss zero points.

Only the top two teams in the standings would advance to the next stage, while the bottom three faced automatic elimination. However, a single, highly competitive loophole existed: the top scorer from each eliminated team would still advance to Blue Lock’s Second Selection.

After suffering a crushing 5-1 defeat against Team X in their opening match, Team Z’s only path forward was securing second place in the group standings. The stakes were absolute—elimination from Blue Lock meant losing the chance to ever join the Japan National Team forever.

Here are the five brilliant moves by Yoichi Isagi that saved Team Z from elimination:

1. Stopping Team Y’s Counterattack and Shutting Down Ikki Niko

Initially, Team Z relied on Meguru Bachira’s dribbling to shatter Team Y’s defense, hoping to set up Rensuke Kunigami for his signature long-range shot. However, Team Y had anticipated this exact strategy, and their center-backs repeatedly blocked Kunigami’s attempts, keeping the ball out of the net.

Though Team Z appeared to be overwhelming a “parked bus” defense, Team Y was deliberately baiting them to push forward. The trap sprang shut when Ikki Niko launched a counterattack, threading a through-ball to an unmarked Hibiki Ohkawa. Ohkawa easily buried the ball past Team Z’s goalkeeper, Iemon, giving Team Y a 1-0 lead at halftime.

In the second half, Team Z earned a desperate corner kick, committing every player to the penalty box. Fortunately, Isagi’s intuition kicked in. He predicted that Team Y’s goalkeeper would punch the ball directly to Niko to trigger another counterattack through Ohkawa. Acting on this instinct, Isagi intercepted the pass intended for Niko and fired a long-range shot. Although Niko managed to block it, Gin Gagamaru seized the rebound and scored, tying the match 1-1.

As the match teetered on a draw in the final minute, Team Y unleashed their ultimate strategy. After relying solely on Ohkawa’s attacks all game, their entire squad surged forward. Their cohesive passing left Niko in a one-on-one with Iemon. Once again, Isagi read the play perfectly: he knew Niko wouldn’t shoot, but would instead pass to Ohkawa.

Isagi intercepted the fatal pass and instantly triggered a counterattack, launching a long ball to Kunigami. Realizing he was outnumbered, Kunigami relayed the ball to Bachira. Using his elite dribbling, Bachira carved through Team Y’s remaining defenders and delivered a pinpoint pass to Isagi. Without hesitating, Isagi struck a direct volley, tearing through the net and securing a dramatic 2-1 victory for Team Z.

2. Reawakening Hyoma Chigiri’s Dormant Power

Team W was anchored by the Wanima brothers, whose deadly one-two passing combinations easily shredded opposing defenses. However, in the first half, Wataru Kuon’s tactical playbook gave Team Z a commanding 3-0 lead, with Kuon himself securing a brilliant hat-trick.

The momentum violently shifted in the second half. Kuon committed three catastrophic blunders, practically handing Team W the opportunity to tie the match at 3-3 in record time. Furthermore, Team W seemed to perfectly anticipate Team Z’s offensive patterns, shutting down their attacks with devastating efficiency.

Though Isagi had a sinking suspicion of foul play during Team W’s second goal, he initially brushed it off. But at 3-3, the brutal truth was revealed: Kuon was a traitor. Not only had he leaked Team Z’s strategies and individual weaknesses, but he had actively allied with Team W as a covert 12th player. Kuon shamelessly assisted the Wanima brothers in scoring their fourth goal.

With only three minutes of stoppage time remaining, a desperate Isagi refused to surrender. Though one-on-one duels were far from his specialty, he forcefully dribbled past two defenders. A Wanima brother managed to steal the ball, but Isagi immediately fought to win it back, pushing it toward Hyoma Chigiri at center-back. In a shocking display of ego, Isagi then stole the ball back from his own teammate, charging ahead alone to force a goal.

Isagi’s sheer, burning obsession with scoring ignited something deep within Chigiri. Until now, Chigiri had strictly confined himself to playing center-back, crippled by the fear of a past injury—a trauma the Wanima brothers, his former high school teammates, relentlessly mocked. But fueled by Isagi’s fire, Chigiri’s dormant talent awakened. He launched himself out of the defensive zone, sprinting aggressively toward Team W’s half.

Smelling the scent of a goal, Isagi placed his absolute faith in Chigiri, launching a massive long pass down the field. Neither team realized the ball was intended for the speedster. Believing Isagi had simply made a reckless error, Kuon moved to easily clear the ball and end the match. However, Chigiri’s explosive pace allowed him to reach the pass fractions of a second before Kuon could intervene.

Accelerating into a terrifying solo run, Chigiri left everyone on the pitch in awe. The Wanima brothers watched in shock as the genius they thought had died was resurrected right before their eyes. With his blinding speed, Chigiri effortlessly blew past their defensive attempts and smashed the ball into the net.

This dramatic equalizer locked the final score at 4-4. Team Z earned a single point, setting the stage for a do-or-die final match against the undefeated titans of the stratum, Team V.

3. Perfecting the Tactical Assignments for Raichi and Kunigami

Sitting in third place, Team Z faced an impossible mandate: defeat Team V to seize second place and advance to the Second Selection. Although Team V had already guaranteed their own advancement, their thirst for victory remained unquenched. They had never tasted defeat.

Team V’s sheer dominance revolved around the lethal duo of Reo Mikage and Seishiro Nagi. Reo orchestrated the field with masterful passing, while Nagi operated as an absolute monster, possessing godly ball control.

No matter how awkward or difficult Reo’s passes were, Nagi effortlessly trapped the ball, converting them into spectacular finishes like breathtaking bicycle kicks. This overwhelming synergy quickly buried Team Z in a 2-0 hole.

With Team Z’s defense desperately hyper-focused on stopping Nagi, Reo exploited the space by passing to Zantetsu Tsurugi. Armed with a devastating, long-range curve shot, Zantetsu easily tore through the net, pushing Team V’s lead to a catastrophic 3-0.

Refusing to break, Bachira took matters into his own hands. Utilizing elite, high-level dribbling techniques, he carved through multiple Team V defenders and shocked the stadium with a brilliant rabona goal, closing the gap to 3-1.

Shortly after, Kunigami found himself fiercely marked by two defenders, struggling to reach his optimal shooting zone. He hesitated, torn between risking an absurd 28-meter shot or passing the ball away. Sensing the doubt, Isagi loudly urged Kunigami to gamble on his weapon, shouting that only heroes possess the courage to take such risks.

Embracing the challenge, Kunigami unleashed a heroic, blistering strike from 28 meters out that shattered Team V’s defense. The first half concluded with Team Z trailing by just one goal, 3-2.

At the start of the match, Isagi had instructed Jingo Raichi to relentlessly man-mark Reo—a strategy that fully bore fruit in the second half. Raichi’s suffocating pressure completely dismantled Team V’s offensive engine, severing the passing lanes to Nagi.

Without Reo’s service, Nagi grew largely inactive. The relentless marking ultimately broke Reo’s composure; in a fit of immense frustration, he elbowed Raichi in the neck, earning a yellow card.

With Team V’s offense suffocated, Chigiri seized the opportunity to challenge Zantetsu, a player renowned for his explosive acceleration.

Pushing his legs to their absolute limit in a spectacular long sprint, Chigiri outpaced Zantetsu in a blazing footrace, completely shattering the defensive line. Chigiri buried the shot, completing a dramatic comeback to level the score at 3-3.

4. Mastering the Weapon of Spatial Awareness

Annoyed by Reo’s inability to deliver the ball, Nagi did something he had never done before: he moved entirely on his own initiative. After dribbling through several Team Z players, Nagi passed to Zantetsu. Following Nagi’s precise instructions, Zantetsu instantly returned a surgical pass right in front of the goal. Despite being heavily pressured by two defenders, Nagi executed a spectacular finish, reclaiming the lead for Team V at 4-3.

As the final seconds of the grueling match ticked down, Isagi’s true weapon awakened: “spatial awareness.” This terrifying field vision allowed him to essentially predict the future. Anticipating Nagi’s movement to intercept a loose ball contested by Chigiri and Zantetsu, Isagi intercepted the play, stealing the ball just fractions of a second before Nagi could reach it. He immediately fed the ball back to Chigiri on the left wing.

Chigiri charged forward at top speed, but three Team V defenders quickly collapsed on him, forcing him into a tight shot that violently struck the right post. However, moving entirely unseen, Gagamaru was already positioned for the rebound.

He fired a point-blank shot, but Reo made a miraculous defensive block. The chaotic deflection ultimately fell to Kunigami. Stepping up as the hero once again, Kunigami unleashed a thunderous strike into the net, equalizing the score at 4-4.

This entire chaotic sequence was meticulously orchestrated by Isagi’s newly mastered spatial awareness. He had perfectly calculated that if Chigiri pushed down the left flank, it would forcefully draw three defenders, consequently opening a massive blind spot on the right side for Gagamaru to exploit.

To make this vision a reality, Isagi had to preemptively cover Chigiri’s vulnerability during his sprint duel against Zantetsu, specifically by neutralizing Nagi’s interference. By arriving exactly where the ball was destined to drop and maintaining Chigiri’s momentum, Isagi triggered the relentless, multi-layered assault that successfully shattered Team V’s defense.

5. Unlocking the Direct Shot

The seeds of Isagi’s final evolution were actually planted early in the second half. During a dangerous Team Z attack, Gagamaru attempted an acrobatic scorpion kick, but Zantetsu swiftly blocked it. The rebound fell perfectly to Isagi, presenting a golden opportunity. However, Isagi took too long to trap the ball and set his shot, allowing a Team V center-back to easily steal it away.

Returning to the dying moments of the match, the tension was suffocating. Team V was awarded a lethal free kick, executed brilliantly by Reo, but Iemon made an unbelievable save. Nagi instantly pounced on the rebound, firing a shot that was millimeters from crossing the line before Gagamaru desperately kicked it up into the crossbar. The ball miraculously fell to Isagi, instantly triggering a lightning-fast, do-or-die counterattack for Team Z.

As Kunigami and Chigiri swarmed the penalty box, Bachira launched a soaring cross toward Isagi. Initially unmarked, Isagi was suddenly shadowed by Nagi, who was fiercely determined to intercept Bachira’s magical pass. Isagi prepared to accelerate and trap the dropping ball, but a heavy wave of doubt washed over him. Could he actually control it perfectly? The tension was agonizing; Nagi was already positioned to crush any shot Isagi attempted to set up.

Refusing to pass to Kunigami or Chigiri, Isagi wagered his entire existence as a striker on scoring this final goal himself. In a flash of absolute clarity, he realized the fatal flaw that had continually robbed him of goals: he was overly obsessed with trapping and controlling the ball first, despite lacking the elite physical strength and speed to protect it.

The solution was remarkably simple but devastatingly effective. Before the ball even touched the ground, Isagi swung his leg, striking a flawless, mid-air direct volley. The sheer power of the direct shot ripped through Team V’s net.

The final whistle blew on a miraculous 5-4 victory for Team Z. With this brilliant, decisive strike, Yoichi Isagi successfully propelled his team to a second-place finish in the Blue Lock standings, carrying them into the Second Selection armed with overwhelming momentum and an unbreakable ego.