Operation Blue Lock is real as Japan’s two World Cup goals vs Spain are mirror images from football anime – even the controversial second!
Japan has done it again!
After beating Germany in their opening game, the Japanese men’s national team has now defeated another giant of European football in Spain last night, December 1, to reach the last 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Incredibly, both of the goals that Japan scored against Spain are now going viral as they are almost identical to those scored by Team Z in the ongoing Blue Lock anime!
Japan’s two goals are mirrored Blue Lock goals
Incredibly, both of Japan’s goals against Spain on December 1 are almost mirrored identically to the goals that Team Z has scored so far in the Blue Lock anime.
In episode 3 of the Blue Lock anime ‘Soccer’s Zero’, Isagi is driven to pass the ball to his left as his team are currently losing to Team X 5-0.
Rensuke Kunigami, a fellow Blue Lock inmate with orange hair, runs onto the pass and scores an incredibly powerful shot from outside the box with his left foot that only just manages to beat the outstretched arms of the goalkeeper.
This has been mirrored by Japanese player Ritsu Doan, who also has orange hair, in Japan’s opening goal against Spain – cutting in from the right and scoring a brilliant long-shot goal on his left foot that only just escapes the keeper’s clutches.
However, it is the second goal in the Japan vs Spain game that is truly the outstanding mirror strike; the now-infamous goal where the ball initially appeared to cross the goal line before being bundled into the net.
In episode 4 of the Blue Lock anime ‘Premonition and Intuition’, the clock is winding down as Isagi finds himself through on target. All hope seems lost as his shot veers wide and threatens to go behind for a goal kick, only for Gin Gagamaru to keep the ball in play and score from an incredibly tight angle around the post.
Japan’s winning goal vs Spain was astonishingly also a mirror image of this goal from Gagamaru; instead with substitute Mitoma keeping the ball in play by mere millimeters as the ball is squared to Tanaka for their second goal.
After Japan’s incredible 2-1 victory over Spain, they are through alongside the Spanish, but top Group E as the winners.
Japan will now face Croatia in the Round of 16, set to take place on Monday, December 5. Spain will face Morocco on Tuesday, December 6.
In celebration of the historic win, the Blue Lock mangaka published another special illustration from the series with the caption, “Break through the historic first place! ! Japan representative is the best! ! Croatia next! ! Best 8 now! ! !”
Blue Lock is available to stream via Crunchyroll.
By Tom Llewellyn – [email protected]