As Lu Chuan stepped onto the field, he could feel an unusual tension in the air.
"The atmosphere today is a bit strange," Trejo whispered to Lu Chuan during warm-up, his eyes scanning the opponent's technical area.
Alcorcón's Head Coach Fran Fernández was intensely discussing something with his Assistant Coach on the sidelines, his tactics board densely covered with arrows and circles.
His gaze occasionally flickered towards Lu Chuan, who was warming up, a calculating glint in his eyes.
"We have found a way to stop him."
Fernández's bold words at the pre-match press conference now echoed over the stadium.
As the whistle for the start of the match blew, Lu Chuan immediately felt an unprecedented sense of pressure.
Alcorcón's defensive midfielder Ramón Azeez stuck to him like a shadow, and whenever Lu Chuan tried to turn or receive the ball, the opponent's body would appear in the most opportune position.
"This guy's defensive awareness is really strong," Lu Chuan thought to himself, trying to shake him off with a feint, but Azeez's reaction speed exceeded his expectations.
What made Lu Chuan feel even more suffocated was that as soon as he stepped within thirty meters of the penalty area,
Alcorcón's two center-backs, David Fernández and Adrián Dieguez, would immediately converge, forming a moving encirclement.
This defensive setup was like a pre-programmed net; as soon as he approached, the net would automatically tighten.
"They've made me public enemy number one," Lu Chuan chuckled bitterly, shaking his head. This feeling of being targeted by the entire team was both novel and frustrating.
To make matters worse, Alcorcón's attacking players Stoichkov and Hugo Fraile tirelessly pressed Rayo Vallecano's defensive midfielders with high intensity.
Comesaña and Suárez had almost no time to pass calmly, and the passing lanes between Trejo and Lu Chuan were completely cut off.
In the 28th minute, an opportunity finally arose. Lu Chuan received a pass from Advíncula on the wing, facing Ramón Azeez's tight marking.
At this moment, he decided to showcase his newly upgraded Direction Change Acceleration Master skill.
Lu Chuan first made a feint to cut inside, and Azeez immediately followed. In that instant, Lu Chuan suddenly used the outside of his right foot to push the ball outwards, while his body's center of gravity shifted sharply to the left. The amplitude and speed of this 'roulette' move surprised even himself.
Immediately after, he pulled the ball inwards with his left foot, turning his whole body like a top, instantly passing through the double-team of Azeez and another defender.
"Oh my god! What a move!" The commentator's voice was filled with shock, "Lu Chuan used an incredible turn to shake off two defenders!"
Although the stands were empty, the brilliance of this move was enough to make any audience stand up and applaud.
The moment he completed the breakthrough, Lu Chuan even felt his heart skip a beat. So this was the power of a master-level skill.
However, the excitement lasted only a few seconds. When Lu Chuan looked up to find a passing target, he found himself once again caught in an encirclement. Alcorcón's overall defensive line contracted extremely quickly; his breakthrough, while spectacular, did not create any substantial attacking opportunities for the team.
"One hand can't clap," Lu Chuan reluctantly passed the ball back to the defender, a wave of frustration washing over him.
Paco Jémez paced anxiously in the technical area on the sidelines, constantly gesturing to the players on the field.
His high-pressing tactics proved ineffective against Alcorcón's extreme defensive strategy.
"This is the segunda división!" The TV commentator's voice was filled with emotion, "When a team defends at all costs, any genius will feel suffocated. Rayo Vallecano has been dragged into the physical battle they dislike the most."
The match was exceptionally difficult, and Rayo Vallecano's attacks were thwarted again and again.
Although Lu Chuan was capable of individual breakthroughs, under the constraints of the overall tactics, his role was minimized.
In the 41st minute, disaster struck.
Alcorcón launched a quick counterattack, and midfielder Hugo Fraile successfully intercepted the ball near the center circle,
and immediately passed it to Ernesto Gómez on the wing. Gómez was very fast, sprinting down the wing, and Rayo Vallecano's defense was pulled apart.
"Get back! Get back quickly!" Trejo shouted loudly on the field, but it was too late.
Gómez crossed from near the byline, and the ball arced perfectly into the penalty area.
Striker Dani Romera leaped high, and despite Catena's interference, still accurately headed the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.
1-0, Alcorcón unexpectedly took the lead.
After scoring, Romera excitedly rushed to the sidelines to celebrate, and Alcorcón's bench instantly erupted.
This goal was not just a lead in the score, but also the best proof of their defensive strategy.
Lu Chuan stood in the center circle, watching the opposing players celebrate, a mix of emotions in his heart.
This was the first time in his professional career that he had so deeply felt the cruelty of football. A wave of frustration surged through him, and he realized that he had been defeated by his opponent in the simplest way: football, after all, is a matter of eleven people.
"Don't be discouraged, there's still time." Trejo walked over and patted his shoulder, but worry was also visible in the captain's eyes.
When the halftime whistle blew, Rayo Vallecano's players walked dejectedly towards the locker room tunnel.
They found that under the opponent's extreme targeted defense, football had become so difficult. Their usual fluid passing combinations now felt clumsy and disjointed.
The atmosphere in the locker room was exceptionally heavy; the players sat in their respective spots, no one speaking.
Paco Jémez paced back and forth in front of the tactics board, his brows furrowed.
"We've been drawn into their rhythm," Paco finally said, his voice tinged with helplessness,
"They've restricted our offense in the simplest, most brutal way."
Lu Chuan sat in the corner, recalling every touch of the ball in the first half.
Azeez's tight marking, the two center-backs' covering defense, the high press from the attacking players—all of it was meticulously designed to limit him.
"Coach." Lu Chuan suddenly stood up. As he spoke, even Trejo, who was wiping sweat, stopped and looked up at him.
"In the second half, let me drop back, draw out their defensive midfielders and center-backs, and we'll attack behind them."
This suggestion caused a subtle shift in the locker room's atmosphere.
Lu Chuan raised his head, meeting the gaze of his coach and teammates, his tone calm yet forceful. In the previously silent locker room, several veteran players unconsciously straightened up.
Paco considered it for a few seconds, then nodded. "Alright, I'll give you 20 minutes. If it doesn't work, I'll substitute you!"
"20 minutes is enough." Lu Chuan's voice was calm, but everyone could feel the determination within it.
When he returned to the field, Lu Chuan's position had noticeably changed.
He no longer stayed fixed in the attacking third but frequently dropped back to midfield to receive the ball. This change caused Alcorcón's defensive system to loosen.
Ramón Azeez faced a difficult choice: following him out would expose gaps in the defense, but not following would allow Lu Chuan to calmly organize play in midfield.
"This kid is really smart." Alcorcón's coach Fernández frowned on the sidelines; he realized that his carefully laid tactical plan had a flaw.
Lu Chuan's deeper positioning did create more space for the team, and Álvaro García and Isi Palazón had more one-on-one opportunities on the wings.
But time was ticking away, minute by minute, and the score remained 1-0.
In the 70th minute, Paco made a substitution, bringing on target man Ullóa for Isi Palazón, preparing for a final aerial bombardment.
"Fight for it!" Trejo shouted loudly on the field, "We have no retreat!"
The match entered its final frantic stage, with Rayo Vallecano pushing forward en masse, while Alcorcón condensed their defense, aiming to hold onto their valuable lead.
Lu Chuan ran tirelessly in midfield, searching for any possible opportunity.
His stamina, boosted by the Perpetual Motion skill, remained abundant, but the psychological pressure was constantly increasing.
"It can't end like this," Lu Chuan murmured to himself, his eyes scanning every corner of the field, looking for that moment that could change the course of the game.
With 15 minutes remaining, this crucial away match was entering its final decisive moments.
Lu Chuan knew that this was not just about winning or losing a single game; it also concerned the team's promotion prospects and his personal winning streak.
At this critical juncture, he had to step up and rewrite the outcome of the match in his own way.