As expected, the comments section quickly devolves into a mess. As the undisputed rulers of the football world for the past decade, Messi and Ronaldo have the largest fanbases, both in their home countries and around the world. It's not that they think it's a big deal that Tendou is modeled after Ronaldo or Messi. At this level, they no longer have anything to prove. On the contrary, others are proud to be associated with them.
The fans just feel a sense of unfairness. Why should he be modeled after your Ronaldo or your Messi? It doesn't make sense! So, the two groups of fans start their usual argument.
The streamer, Fanji, looks a little helpless and says, "Is it possible that Tendou is modeled after both Ronaldo and Messi?"
Uh...
After he says this, the comments section suddenly quiets down. They think about it carefully, and it seems like that might be true. The technical skills that Tendou has shown so far are indeed a fusion of the two. He has Messi's incredible footwork, dribbling, and passing vision, while also possessing Ronaldo's amazing shooting ability. Before, he was just right-footed, but now that the anime has been airing, his left foot has also improved, and he doesn't seem to have any weaknesses in his shooting ability.
The audience, who were slow to realize this, suddenly exclaim.
Oh my god!
Ronaldo and Messi combined?
Isn't this an unbeatable combination?
I get it now. Isagi Yoichi's biggest opponents to becoming the best in the world aren't Sae Itoshi, Rin Itoshi, or Loki. His real opponent is Tendou!
We've known this since the first episode. What are you "getting" now?
Tendou's popularity suddenly gets a huge boost. Life is full of such surprises. Sometimes, even if Tendou gives his all to show his skills, it can't compare to an official character setting. Because when fans argue, they are more professional than all the famous coaches in the world combined. They not only discuss the players' performance but also add to the lore of the world with their theories. All in all, when they get into an argument, there are two words to describe their behavior: rigorous! Sometimes they don't even accept the author's official setting. Oda is just a lousy artist. What does he know about One Piece?
Before, Tendou's performance was always outstanding, not losing to even Loki. But Tendou was missing one thing compared to Loki and the others: the aura or title of a genius. For example, Sae Itoshi, with the title of one of the "New Generation World's Best Eleven," looks elite the moment he steps on the field. Tendou has also enjoyed this kind of glory in the world of Kuroko's Basketball. As the leader of the "Generation of Miracles" and the "Teiko Monster," he had his own BGM and was incredibly cool. But in the world of Blue Lock, this is exactly what he's missing.
But now, it's officially set that Tendou is modeled after both Ronaldo and Messi. He doesn't need a "European prodigy" title or to be one of the "New Generation World's Best Eleven." Being associated with both Ronaldo and Messi is more valuable than any "prodigy" title. What more could he want?
The audience in the real world is buzzing with excitement.
And on the field, after scoring, Tendou lands on his feet with his hands supporting him so he doesn't fall. He then sprints to the corner flag and performs a passionate knee slide. The three-pronged marks he leaves on the ground prove his "extraordinary talent." Men are silent when they see it; women scream!
"This kid is truly a natural talent," Rodgers says, looking at the three marks with envy. As a man, Tendou has a lot of "assets"!
The reacting Isagi Yoichi and the others frantically rush towards Tendou to celebrate with him. As for the head coach, Jingo Raichi, he stands in the coaching area, his hands covering his head in disbelief, completely frozen. He looks up and sees Hirotoshi Tsurugi staring at him with a murderous look.
Anri Teieri is not doing any better. Since the goal, her mouth has not been able to close. There is still time left, and this goal might not completely kill the match, but it is definitely enough to stabilize their morale. They have one foot in the door to victory. Blue Lock will most likely not be eliminated!
"Oh my god, he jumped so high!"
"Sae Itoshi is at least 1.8 meters tall, and Tendou almost rode him!"
"I feel like he jumped higher than Ronaldo, didn't he?"
"No, but it's probably pretty close. What kind of monster has Blue Lock produced?"
"You can't compare them like that. I think Tendou is at least 1.9 meters tall, so his jump height might not be stronger than Ronaldo's."
"Isn't being tall a talent?"
"Are you playing basketball? This is football. Being tall isn't always a good thing."
"So his dribbling isn't good or his shooting isn't accurate?"
"Damn it..."
While the audience in the real world is discussing, the audience in the Blue Lock world is also discussing. It's the off-season, and there are a limited number of matches for fans to watch, with only a few cup matches that are known for being fixed. So, this match has garnered the attention of two million fans in the country. Don't think that's a small number; after all, the country's population is not that big. In the live stream, on social media, the comments and replies are scrolling by quickly, almost refreshing every second. It's a shame that these guys can't give Tendou any popularity points. What's the point of them? Useless.
"We just got the official data!"
"The highest point of contact for player Tendou's header was 2.98 meters!"
"The record has been broken!"
"After Cristiano Ronaldo's incredible header against his old club, Manchester United, in 2013, which reached a height of 2.95 meters, this record has finally been broken five years later!"
"And the player who set the new record for the highest point of contact for a header in the world of football is named Tendou Kageyoshi!"
The commentator is ecstatic. While Tendou's height makes this 0.03-meter difference seem insignificant, only those who have tried know how difficult it is to surpass Ronaldo's record. For five years, many people have tried to challenge this record, but no one has succeeded. Not even in practice. The live broadcast shows a repeated replay of Tendou's powerful header over Sae Itoshi. The poor genius Sae Itoshi has become Tendou's stepping stone. If Tendou becomes a global superstar in the future, Sae Itoshi will also "become famous" alongside Tendou.
At the referee's urging, Tendou and the others end their celebration and return to the center circle. At this moment, the situation has changed. The national youth team's players no longer look relaxed. They are too tenacious. This opponent, or rather, that No. 7, is too strong. Every time they narrow the gap to one goal, he comes out and extends the lead. This gives the national youth team a sense of frustration that they can never catch up.
Sae Itoshi also didn't expect this match to be so difficult. Perhaps he thought he had already overestimated Tendou's abilities, but in the end, he still underestimated him. Sae Itoshi had never been in such a bad situation while playing in the Japanese League. Now it seems, if he doesn't get serious, this match will end just as Tendou said—in a very boring way.
...
Get 30+ chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"