The floodlights cast a cold white light into the night sky above La Romareda Stadium.
Shinji Kagawa stopped at the edge of the penalty area, his gaze quickly scanning between his two teammates.
Time slowed down at this moment.
To his right, Luis Suárez had already surged into the box, in an excellent position.
To his left, Javi Puado had more open space, with almost no defensive interference.
Shinji Kagawa gently nudged the ball with his foot, sending it precisely to the left.
"No!" Dimitrievski stretched out his hands in despair.
Javi Puado received the ball without hesitation; he faced an almost open goal with little angle.
With an easy push shot, the ball rolled into the net.
3-1!
Zaragoza had completely killed the game!
Lu Chuan knelt near the center circle, looking up at the night sky above the stadium.
His chest heaved violently, and sweat mixed with unwilling tears dripped onto the turf.
"Damn it..." He fiercely slammed his fist into the ground.
Puado ran towards the corner flag, celebrating wildly, and Zaragoza's bench erupted.
Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano's players stood motionless, like soulless puppets.
The empty seats in the stands reflected the cold light.
This Asian Derby had found its victor.
In the 88th minute, Zaragoza's coach, Víctor Fernández, began making substitutions.
Shinji Kagawa was replaced; he slowly walked towards the sideline, receiving hugs from his teammates.
Lu Chuan gritted his teeth, watching the Japanese master leave the field.
Kagawa's back looked so composed and elegant in the night.
Just as Lu Chuan thought the nightmare was about to end, a more brutal blow struck.
In the 90th minute, Rayo Vallecano's defense completely collapsed.
Savić made a low-level error while clearing the ball, kicking it directly to Alberto Soro.
The young Zaragoza substitute seized the opportunity, going one-on-one with Dimitrievski.
With a calm push shot, the ball found the net again.
4-1!
A complete rout!
Lu Chuan closed his eyes, unwilling to see the brutal score.
The reality of two consecutive losses weighed heavily on his shoulders.
The referee's whistle blew, ending the match.
Zaragoza's players celebrated wildly, while Rayo Vallecano's players walked like zombies towards the player's tunnel.
"Ding! Challenge Mission: King of Asia, Completed!"
"Personal Rating: 8.5 (1 goal, 1 assist, 11.2 km running distance, 89% pass success rate)"
"Shinji Kagawa Rating: 8.2 (2 assists, 94% pass success rate, but noticeable decline in physical fitness in the second half)"
"Reward: 1500LP, Free Kick Specialist Experience Card x1"
The system's prompt sounded in his mind, but Lu Chuan felt no joy.
He would rather exchange the success of this mission for a draw for his team.
Individual honor seemed so pale and powerless in the face of team failure.
"Hey, Lu."
A familiar voice came from behind him.
Lu Chuan turned and saw Shinji Kagawa walking towards him.
The Japanese midfield master had already changed out of his match jersey, holding a clean away jersey in his hand.
"Jersey swap?" Shinji Kagawa asked in English.
Lu Chuan was momentarily stunned, then took off his sweat-soaked jersey.
The two silently completed the exchange.
"You are very strong, truly." Shinji Kagawa looked at Lu Chuan sincerely, "Your header and pass today were excellent. But..."
He paused, his eyes deepening.
"Your team needs you, but you cannot fight alone. Football is always a game of 11 players."
Lu Chuan clenched his fists; Shinji Kagawa's words struck the most painful chord in his heart.
"I hope we can meet again in La Liga." Shinji Kagawa gently patted Lu Chuan's shoulder and turned to leave.
Lu Chuan watched his retreating figure, a mixture of emotions in his heart.
This was the realm of a world-class player; even when facing a young opponent, he maintained the demeanor of a senior.
Back in the locker room, the atmosphere dropped to freezing point.
The players sat dejectedly in their respective spots; no one wanted to speak.
The gloom of two consecutive losses enveloped everyone.
Paco Jémez was late to appear.
The Assistant Coach told everyone that the head coach was giving a media interview.
"4-1..." Suárez muttered, "We were completely thrashed."
Advíncula covered his face with a towel, his shoulders trembling slightly.
The Peruvian international's emotions had completely collapsed.
Comesaña angrily kicked a locker. "Damn it! How could we play so badly!"
"Enough!"
Trejo suddenly stood up, his eyes burning with anger.
The captain picked up a bottle of mineral water and slammed it to the ground.
Splash!
The plastic bottle burst, and water splattered everywhere.
"Do you all want an early holiday, damn it?" Trejo's roar echoed in the locker room, "The next game is at home! If anyone doesn't want to play, get out now!"
No one dared to respond.
Trejo's anger infected everyone, but it also made them realize the seriousness of the problem.
Lu Chuan slowly raised his head, looking at the angry captain.
He knew Trejo's anger stemmed from his helplessness regarding the team's current situation.
"Óscar, calm down." Lu Chuan stood up and walked to the captain.
"Calm down?" Trejo turned to face Lu Chuan, "Look at us now! Do we look like a professional team?"
The locker room was silent.
Everyone could feel the captain's despair.
Just then, Paco Jémez pushed the door open.
The head coach's face was terribly grim, with no light in his eyes.
"Coach..." Comesaña tried to speak.
Paco raised his hand, signaling him not to speak.
The head coach surveyed every player in the locker room, finally resting his gaze on Lu Chuan.
"At the press conference, they asked me what I thought of the team's performance." Paco's voice was low and hoarse, "I didn't know how to answer."
He stopped in front of the tactics board, his back to all the players.
"Two consecutive losses, 8 goals conceded, 3 goals scored. These are our statistics."
Paco turned around, complex emotions flickering in his eyes.
"The media says we suffer from 'Lu Chuan dependency.' They're right."
Lu Chuan's heart sank.
The head coach's words were like a knife, directly piercing his heart.
"But this is not Lu Chuan's fault." Paco continued, "This is my fault. I made the entire tactical system overly reliant on one player."
The atmosphere in the locker room became even more oppressive.
The players could feel the head coach's self-reproach.
"There are still a few rounds left until the end of the season." Paco walked to the tactics board, "We must make changes. Not for me, not for the club, but for yourselves."
He picked up a marker and drew a circle on the tactics board.
"Football is round. Anything can happen. But the premise is, we must be united."
Lu Chuan watched Paco's actions on the tactics board, a warmth rising in his heart.
Even in the most difficult times, the head coach had not given up on the team.
"Next game against Numancia, we play at home." Paco turned to face the players, "This is our chance to prove ourselves."
Trejo sat down again; his earlier anger had transformed into firm determination.
"We will, Coach." The captain's voice was not loud, but it was full of power.
The other players also nodded.
Although the gloom of consecutive losses still hung over the team, their fighting spirit had not completely vanished.
Paco put away the marker and walked towards the door.
"Get some good rest. Normal training tomorrow afternoon."
After the head coach left, the locker room fell silent again.
But this time, the silence was different from the previous despair; it was a quiet reflection.
Lu Chuan silently packed his gear.
Shinji Kagawa's jersey was carefully placed in his bag; it represented a kind of legacy and responsibility.
"Lu Chuan." Suárez walked over, "You didn't do anything wrong. We all know this isn't your problem."
The other players also gathered around, their eyes showing no blame, only unity.
"We are a team." Catena extended his right hand, "Together we win, together we lose."
Lu Chuan looked at his teammates' eyes and felt a long-lost warmth.
He placed his right hand on Catena's.
"Together we win, together we lose."
The other players also stacked their hands together.
This simple action reignited the team's cohesion.
As he left the stadium, Lu Chuan took one last look at La Romareda Stadium.
The stadium in the night seemed so peaceful, but he knew that everything that had just happened here would become an important lesson in his professional career.
Shinji Kagawa's words echoed in his ears: "You cannot fight alone."
Yes, he could not fight alone.
No matter how difficult it was, he had to lead this team out of its slump.
The bus slowly drove towards Madrid in the night.
The city lights outside the window twinkled like stars in the night sky.
Lu Chuan leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
What came to his mind was not the pain of defeat, but the united eyes of his teammates.
This defeat was painful, but it also made the team realize the problem.
Now, they must unite and fight for the upcoming matches.
His phone screen lit up with a message from Esther: "I watched the game. Don't be sad, failure is just a stepping stone on the path to success. I believe in you all."
Simple words, yet they gave Lu Chuan endless strength.
He replied with a hug emoji, then put his phone aside.
The night outside the window grew deeper, but Lu Chuan's heart gradually brightened.
This defeat was indeed painful, but it also taught him more.
Football is not a game for one person, but an art for 11 people.
Only when everyone is united can miracles happen.