As soon as the whistle for the second half blew, Lu Chuan began his new tactics.
He no longer stayed rooted in the front field waiting for opportunities, but actively retreated to the midfield hinterland. This change instantly threw Alcorcón's defensive system into chaos.
Ramón Azeez stood still, his gaze shifting between Lu Chuan and his defensive position.
Following him would mean abandoning his interception position in the midfield; not following him would allow Lu Chuan to calmly organize attacks from the midfield.
"Damn kid," Azeez gritted his teeth, finally choosing to follow Lu Chuan's steps.
This decision immediately created a chain reaction. Center-back David Fernández was also forced to move forward, and the previously tight defense showed its first crack.
Lu Chuan received a pass from Comesaña in the midfield and turned to face Azeez, who had followed him.
He did not rush to break through, but scanned the entire field with his eyes, looking for the best passing route.
"Now!" Lu Chuan suddenly accelerated, and a simple flick and change of direction left Azeez half a step behind.
Immediately after, he accurately passed the ball to Álvaro García on the right wing.
García had only one defender in front of him when he received the ball, the first time he had such a comfortable one-on-one opportunity in the entire match.
He did not waste this opportunity, using a beautiful cut inside to drive directly into the penalty area.
"Shoot!" Although the stands were empty, García's breakthrough still made hearts pound.
Unfortunately, the ball was bravely saved by goalkeeper Dani Jiménez.
Alcorcón's goalkeeper was in superb form today, repeatedly thwarting Rayo Vallecano's dangerous attacks.
"This goalkeeper is on fire today," Trejo shook his head with a bitter smile; his long shot had also been saved by Jiménez a few minutes earlier.
The match entered the 75th minute, and both sides' physical exertion reached its limit.
Rayo Vallecano players' faces were etched with fatigue, while Alcorcón's players seemed relatively relaxed; their defensive counter-attack tactics allowed them to conserve energy.
Paco Jémez paced anxiously on the sidelines; time was ticking away, and the score remained 1-0.
He made his final gamble, substituting high-striker Ullóa for Isi Palazón.
Paco stopped pacing; he put his hands in his pockets and quietly watched Ullóa on the bench, his eyes filled with a do-or-die determination.
Ullóa's entry made Rayo Vallecano's attack more dynamic.
His height advantage created a new threat in the penalty area, forcing Alcorcón's defense to dedicate more attention to marking him.
In the 82nd minute, Rayo Vallecano had an excellent opportunity.
Lu Chuan delivered a brilliant through ball from midfield, and Ullóa received the ball in the box, turned, and shot, but the ball was once again bravely saved by Jiménez.
"This goalkeeper is truly unstoppable today," the commentator's voice conveyed helplessness.
As the match entered the final ten minutes, the atmosphere on the field became extremely tense.
The Big Heart skill silently took effect, the tension draining from Lu Chuan's body, replaced by a sense of absolute control; he could even predict the movement of the opponent's defenders in the next second.
He did not become impatient due to the urgency of time; instead, he observed every detail on the field with even more patience,
searching for that moment that could change the course of the game.
In the 88th minute, Alcorcón's defense began to loosen under Rayo Vallecano's relentless assault.
Continuous high-intensity defending brought their physical condition close to its limit, and several defenders' positioning began to deviate.
Lu Chuan keenly captured this change. He began to frequently roam at the edge of the penalty area, using off-ball movement to draw the opponent's defensive attention.
In the 90th minute, the referee held up the electronic board, indicating 4 minutes of injury time.
These 4 minutes were the last hope for Rayo Vallecano and the final test for Alcorcón.
In the 2nd minute of injury time, Rayo Vallecano earned a corner kick.
Trejo stood at the corner flag, taking a deep breath. This might be their last chance.
The ball arced into the penalty area, Ullóa leaped high to contest it, but Alcorcón's defender cleared it first.
The ball flew out of the box, landing at Lu Chuan's feet outside the penalty area.
The moment the ball dropped, Lu Chuan's mind went blank; all tactics, scores, and pressure disappeared, leaving only the pure thought of shooting.
Just as he prepared to strike, a familiar feeling surged through him.
It was the sign that the Guaranteed Long Shot talent was about to trigger, a power that made him feel incredibly confident surging within him.
"Now!" Lu Chuan roared in his heart, striking the ball directly without stopping it as it came towards him.
It was a perfect volley. After leaving Lu Chuan's right foot, the ball, with strong spin and a dipping trajectory, headed straight for the goal.
Dani Jiménez's reaction was already quick enough; he flew to save, his fingertips almost touching the ball.
But the power of the talent was unstoppable; the ball scraped the underside of the crossbar, accurately flying into the top right corner of the goal.
1-1!
The moment the goal was scored, the entire stadium fell silent. Lu Chuan stood still, watching the ball tremble in the net, a complex emotion surging in his heart.
This was his 13th consecutive League goal, once again breaking his own record.
But against the backdrop of a difficult draw away against a relegation-threatened team, this goal felt somewhat bittersweet.
Teammates rushed to embrace him, but the celebration seemed somewhat forced. Everyone knew what this draw meant for the team's promotion prospects.
"Good shot!" Trejo patted Lu Chuan's back, but the worry in his eyes could not be hidden.
When the final whistle blew, Rayo Vallecano's players did not celebrate; their faces were filled with disappointment.
Lu Chuan walked towards the away stands, greeting the fans who had traveled so far, but his mood was exceptionally heavy.
He pulled out his phone to check the League table; although they had gained 1 point, the teams behind them had all won their matches.
The seemingly secure playoff spot for promotion now became precarious again.
"We're still 3 points ahead of seventh place," Comesaña tried to comfort his teammates, but his voice sounded unconvincing.
The atmosphere in the locker room was exceptionally somber. Paco Jémez sat in the corner, holding his head in his hands, deep in thought.
He realized that the team's problems were not just tactical; a deeper issue was their over-reliance on Lu Chuan.
"We can't always rely on Lu Chuan to save the game," Paco finally spoke, his voice tinged with weariness.
Lu Chuan sat in his spot, recalling every detail of the match.
Alcorcón's targeted defense was indeed effective; they used the simplest and most direct method to restrict Rayo Vallecano's attack.
More importantly, this match exposed a fatal flaw in the team: when Lu Chuan was restricted, other players seemed to lose the ability to proactively create opportunities.
Lu Chuan interrupted Paco's contemplation: "Coach, the problem isn't with tactics; it's with us." His words froze the air in the entire locker room.
"What do you mean?" Trejo asked in confusion.
"We can't let opponents always restrict us in this way."
Lu Chuan's gaze was firm, "Next match, I hope everyone can believe more in their own abilities, rather than always thinking about passing the ball to me."
These words caused a subtle shift in the atmosphere of the locker room.
Teammates began to realize that they had indeed, unknowingly, developed "Lu Chuan dependency."
The system's prompt sounded in Lu Chuan's mind:
"Ding! A difficult draw!"
"Match Rating: 9.0"
"LP earned: 50 (Draw) + 200 (Worldie Equalizer) + 100 (Talent Trigger Bonus) = 350 LP!"
"Current LP balance: 5200 + 350 = 5550 LP"
Although he received a good LP reward, Lu Chuan's mood did not improve.
He knew that if the team couldn't solve its tactical problems, no matter how outstanding his individual performance, it would be difficult to help the team achieve its promotion goal.
After returning to the hotel, Lu Chuan sat alone in his room, contemplating the team's predicament. His phone rang; it was a message from Esther.
"Watched the live broadcast, your goal was amazing! But you don't seem very happy?"
Lu Chuan replied with a bitter smile: "Won individual honors, but the team's situation isn't great."
"Want to talk?" Esther's concern warmed Lu Chuan.
The two talked for a long time via video call. Although Esther was not a football expert, her words always brought Lu Chuan different perspectives and comfort.
"Perhaps this draw is a wake-up call," Esther analyzed seriously, "It reminds you not to be complacent and to continue to improve."
"You're right," Lu Chuan nodded, "We really need to change."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Chuan opened the system panel, checking his various stats.
5550 LP gave him more room for choice, but he knew that improving individual ability was only part of solving the problem.
The real challenge lay in how to help the entire team overcome their over-reliance on him, allowing everyone to step up at critical moments.
This was not just a technical issue, but also a psychological and tactical challenge.
The night view of Madrid outside the window was still beautiful, but Lu Chuan's heart was filled with a sense of urgency.
There were still several matches left until the end of the season, and each one was crucial.
He had to find a way to solve the problem, not only for his own career but also for the teammates and fans who trusted and supported him.
Although this draw extended his scoring record, it also sounded the alarm for the challenges ahead.
The real test had just begun.