1st HALF

The booth sits speechless as Rin's goal lifts Blue Lock into a 1-2 advantage, the stunned crowd roaring at the strike. Isagi labels Rin a genius, crediting the disguised motion that hid his timing and the outside-of-the-boot finish. He sprints over for an embrace, but Rin sidesteps and lets him tumble, then tells the side it is time for Plan B. Bachira is on board, Karasu grumbles, Otoya shrugs since they lead, and Chigiri hauls Isagi up while praising his work as a decoy.

Isagi claims the next goal for himself as the drained U-20 look on. Aiku apologizes for allowing the shot, and Nio counters that if even their captain could not deny it, nothing could be done. Aiku concedes the goal proved Rin really is the younger brother of the prodigy Sae. Sae then rounds on Sendo, demanding to know how many chances he will squander, since the deficit stems from his failure to finish. He brands Sendo a garbage striker and reminds the whole side that a Blue Lock win means their spots get seized, adding coldly that none of it matters to him. Cho, Kitsunezato, Hayate, and Wakatsuki all fire back that they will not fold, and Aiku orders them to treat the closing minutes as their last.

With three minutes on the clock, the U-20 restart in possession and pour forward in a tighter, quicker shape than before. Isagi notes they have stacked numbers high with Sae as the hub, exchanging short passes out of sheer desperation. Sae lofts one past Karasu to Kitsunezato, who is instantly hounded by Bachira and then ambushed from behind by Isagi. Isagi reveals Blue Lock can shift shape as well: holding a lead late in a half, every attacker except Nagi drops to plug the back line. Baited into a two-on-one, Kitsunezato offloads to Cho, but as Cho winds up Niko dives across the shooting lane, funneling the effort so Gagamaru can read and smother it. The ball rebounds off the post and a minute of stoppage is added. Sae collects near the box, drawing Bachira and Isagi into a double mark, then feints wide and cuts back through the gap they leave, gliding clean between them.

Entering the area, Sae drills a sharp ball to the front of the box for Sendo, who steels himself to become the hero despite its wicked flight. Just before it arrives, Rin darts in from behind, calls the pass, brands Sendo lukewarm, and snatches it away, insisting his brother will never reach the top on a delivery like that. The loose ball spins up to Sae, irritated by the constant interference, who unleashes a screaming line drive that slices between everyone toward goal. Gagamaru is beaten, but Aryu whips out a backward roundhouse kick that halts the ball and knocks it against the post. The whistle ends the half with Blue Lock up 1-2. The players celebrate, the JFA officials and U-20 coach sag, and up in the stands Ryusei Shido looks itching to get on the pitch.

Blue Lock carries a lead into the interval as the Japan U-20 unravel, and Sae reminds them what defeat will cost. The U-20 mount a frantic push to level, but every effort, including Sae's own line drive, is blocked, leaving the score 1-2 as the first half ends.

"1st HALF" is the 121st chapter overall and the ninth collected in Volume 14, part of the U-20 Arc. It was adapted within Episode 32 of the anime and first published in Japan on March 3, 2021.