Chapter 10: The First Goal That Decides the Course

Vázquez was confident that his players would break down Mallorca's group of "old, weak, sick, and disabled" veterans with their relentless sprints. However, what happened next was disappointing—Mallorca's aging squad, rather than collapsing under the energetic runs of Rayo Vallecano's players, seemed to gain an almost invincible resolve, as if they'd been injected with some sort of energy.

Vázquez had made one major misjudgment—while Mallorca's defensive line was indeed aging, possibly the oldest in La Liga, each player possessed nearly ten years of top-flight experience, and their physical condition hadn't significantly deteriorated. Sprinting back and forth might quickly drain their stamina, but in a more passive defensive setup, their experience, physicality, positioning, and judgment allowed them to perform at their best. There was no way a team like Rayo Vallecano, which didn't have a standout striker, would be able to easily break through their defense.

Moreover, Mallorca's quick counterattacks weren't something to be underestimated. Tristan's power was impressive, and both Stankovic and Ibagasa were skillful and fast midfielders. Though they weren't lightning quick, their short, sharp combinations and understanding between them caused plenty of problems for Vallecano's defense.

With the pressure from Mallorca's front players, Rayo Vallecano couldn't just attack without caution, allowing Mallorca's defense to operate with more ease.

After a period of intense attack, Rayo Vallecano's momentum began to falter. Such aggressive attacks were exhausting, and despite Sembranos' playmaking in the middle, the youthful Rayo Vallecano side slowed down as their stamina waned.

Yet, Mallorca didn't seize the moment for a counterattack but rather began controlling the midfield through passing and adjustment. The key figure in this was Captain N'Gonga, who kept receiving the ball and distributing it to find attacking opportunities.

Thus, the match coasted to halftime. When the referee blew the whistle signaling the end of the first half, José clenched his fist and stood up, heading toward the locker room. Vázquez, irritated, waved his hand dismissively, also standing and walking in the same direction.

Interestingly, their actions were almost synchronized. They met at the players' tunnel entrance. Vázquez glanced at José and snorted before entering the tunnel. José smiled slightly, waiting for Vázquez to go in before following suit.

In the locker room, José took a moment to ponder as Mallorca's players filed in. When Natal was the last to enter and closed the door, José cleared his throat to get the players' attention.

"Overall, we played well in the first half, but it's not enough… Up front, we struggled to break out for a quick counterattack because we weren't as fast. So in the second half, we need to keep defending but also be more aggressive in our offense. Vicente, you can position yourself a bit higher in the second half. With Francisco covering for you, there's nothing to worry about. Focus on creating chances for Yuvan and Ariel to break through. Draw defenders to the middle, and then play wide to create opportunities for Diego. That's our attacking strategy for the second half. Yuvan, Ariel, when one of you is on the flank, the other should move into the middle to support Carlos in picking up the second ball. If you get the chance, let's aim to extend the lead!"

José said all of this in one breath. After seeing Tristan, Carlos, Stankovic, Ibagasa, and N'Gonga nod, he turned to the defenders. "Keep defending in the second half. Don't push forward unnecessarily, and make sure we don't leave any gaps at the back… I think, as long as we don't get dragged into sprints, defending Rayo Vallecano's attack should be manageable, right?"

Nino rolled up his sleeve to show off his muscles. "No problem! We can definitely keep them out!"

Seeing Nino's confidence, the other defenders nodded as well. This wasn't overconfidence but a recognition of their quality. These defenders were well within the middle ranks of La Liga, and despite their age, they were still solid. José had seen this strength clearly. Even in the first half of the season, when coach Gómez had employed tactics that didn't suit Mallorca's situation, their defense had kept their average conceded goals below two per game, proving their ability.

If it wasn't from open play, in structured defense, there were few teams in La Liga capable of breaking through this line.

Mallorca's defense, a legacy of manager Cooper, was the team's greatest asset, and José was wise to rely on it. It was the one area he didn't have to worry about. What he needed to focus on was increasing Mallorca's goals—so far, they had only scored 18 in 20 games, averaging less than one goal per match, a figure that was shameful for a La Liga team.

In fact, Mallorca had good attacking players. Tristan, though inexperienced, was an excellent finisher, and both Ibagasa and Stankovic were talented attacking players. If they could combine their strengths, they'd score plenty of goals. However, José hadn't had the time to create intricate offensive systems. From taking over the team to this match, his time had been very limited, so his attacking strategy was simple—N'Gonga distributed the ball, Ibagasa and Stankovic broke wide for crosses, and Tristan attacked the center for headers. Simple but effective.

This straightforward approach, combined with Tristan's power and the wing play, could be very effective—at least enough to deal with Rayo Vallecano.

Rayo Vallecano had been performing well this season, but José knew that their actual strength didn't quite match their ranking. With their young squad and open attacking style, combined with a bit of luck, they had managed to achieve good results. However, in their previous encounter in the first half of the season, Rayo Vallecano had only managed to scrape a lucky 2-1 win at home after a tense match. José didn't believe Rayo Vallecano was superior to Mallorca.

Youth was both Rayo Vallecano's advantage and their weakness. If Mallorca could seize the opportunity to extend their lead in the second half, Rayo Vallecano would likely crack under pressure.

"We're leading… How many games has it been since we last led? I can't even remember," a fan muttered from the stands at St. Moïse Stadium.

"Seven? Or eight?" another fan responded uncertainly.

"We really need a new manager. This one's not perfect, but at least we're ahead!" a fan exclaimed.

"This coach is a true Mallorcan. He spent over a year with the youth team. We can trust him!" another fan agreed.

"Who cares! We're leading! We want to win!" shouted a fan. "Forward, Mallorca!"

With that, the players emerged from the tunnel, and the Mallorca fans were energized.

The second half was about to begin!

"Mallorca leads by one at halftime… If this were last season, it wouldn't be a problem, but this season, them leading at halftime is a surprising turn of events. Rayo Vallecano, while not undefeated, rarely finds themselves behind at this point. Xavier, what do you think?" asked Iván Hidalgo, a well-known commentator for Spanish national TV, to his colleague, Xavier Bonet.

Bonet, a more serious and methodical commentator, responded, "In the first half, Mallorca didn't play beautifully, but their defensive solidity and tactical discipline were commendable. Though they were often under pressure from Rayo Vallecano, José Alemany has clearly understood his team's strengths and weaknesses, which isn't easy. Mallorca's key strengths are their experienced players and the strong defensive line left by Cooper. Their weaknesses are the aging starting lineup, which is prone to being dragged out of position. Playing defensively maximized their strengths, and that counterattack was executed well, proving that this was all part of José's well-thought-out plan. As for Vázquez, I'm a little disappointed. It's clear that his team is avoiding Rayo Vallecano's strengths, but he hasn't found much of an answer to that. If this continues, Rayo Vallecano could be in trouble in the second half."

"I agree with Xavier," Hidalgo nodded. "Given José's performance in the first half, even if he had mistakenly sat in the wrong coaching seat, it wouldn't have mattered much. Now, let's see what happens in the second half. Will Mallorca end their three-game losing streak and even break their nine-game winless run? Let's wait and see!"

"The first goal in the second half will decide the game! If Rayo Vallecano scores first, Mallorca will be in a tough spot, and the shadow of their nine-game winless streak will be hard to shake. However, if Mallorca can extend their lead, Rayo Vallecano's young players might crack!" Bonet added.