In the locker room of the Estadio Gran Canaria, the atmosphere was so tense it was almost solidified.
Lu Chuan stood in front of the tactics board, his brows tightly furrowed.
Paco Jémez's excited voice came through Assistant Coach Juan's earpiece: "Tell them, today we're playing 3-4-3!"
"3-4-3?" Juan's eyes widened in surprise, "But we don't have enough center-backs!"
"Let Ullóa play center-back!" Paco's voice was decisive, "Today there's only one way—attack! Attack! Attack again!"
Juan shrugged helplessly and relayed Paco's crazy instructions to the players.
A gasp erupted in the locker room.
"Ullóa at center-back? He's a striker!" Comesaña shook his head in disbelief.
Lu Chuan raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet. "Paco knows what he's doing. Today we must win, there's no turning back."
Ullóa stood up and patted his chest: "Don't worry, I can play defense. For the team, I can play any position."
In the player tunnel, the Las Palmas players looked relaxed.
Their midfield maestro Pedri—the future Barça golden boy—was laughing and chatting with his teammate Jonathan Viera.
"I heard they're going all out," Pedri's eyes gleamed with confidence, "Too bad, today's their funeral."
As Lu Chuan walked past, their laughter abruptly stopped. Pedri gave him a provocative look: "Ready for five consecutive losses?"
Lu Chuan didn't respond, just looked straight ahead, his gaze as firm as iron.
The moment they walked onto the pitch, the sun was dazzling, and the audience's boos were deafening.
Rayo Vallecano's players lined up, facing the challenge from Las Palmas.
The referee's whistle blew, and the match began.
Rayo Vallecano's 3-4-3 formation immediately showed its aggressive side.
The front line composed of three strikers, Lu Chuan, Trejo, and Álvaro García, launched a fierce assault on Las Palmas' defense.
But problems quickly emerged.
Ullóa, playing as an impromptu center-back, appeared extremely unfamiliar with the defensive position. His positioning, turns, and judgment all exposed fatal flaws.
In the 9th minute, disaster struck.
Pedri received the ball in midfield, easily shaking off Comesaña's defense. He looked up for a second, then delivered a through ball as precise as a surgeon's scalpel.
Viera successfully broke the offside trap, going one-on-one with goalkeeper Dimitrievski.
"Block him!" Lu Chuan shouted desperately from the front, but could only watch as Viera calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.
1-0, Las Palmas took the lead.
"Damn it!" Juan on the bench slammed the bench, and Paco's angry roar came through his earpiece: "Tell Ullóa, he's too far forward!"
But it was too late; Rayo Vallecano's defense had already been breached for the first time.
As Viera celebrated his goal, he deliberately ran in front of the Rayo Vallecano bench and made a mocking gesture.
Lu Chuan's fists clenched and then unclenched. He took a deep breath and ran back to the center circle, ready to restart the game.
"Calm down," he shouted to his teammates, "The game has just begun!"
But the situation on the field grew worse and worse.
Las Palmas' midfield duo of Pedri and Viera, like two sharp knives, constantly cut through Rayo Vallecano's fragile defense.
Pedri's agility and Viera's rhythm completely outmaneuvered Rayo Vallecano's midfield.
Those exquisite passes and changes of direction left Comesaña and Suárez scrambling.
In the 15th minute, Viera's long-range shot hit the crossbar and bounced out of bounds. Rayo Vallecano narrowly escaped.
"We have to change!" Trejo ran to Lu Chuan, panting, "We'll be torn apart if this continues!"
Lu Chuan looked at the bench; Juan was communicating with Paco via his earpiece. A moment later, he gestured to Lu Chuan—stick to the original formation.
Lu Chuan gritted his teeth. Paco's gamble was too big, but he had no choice but to execute it.
In the 22nd minute, a turning point appeared.
Trejo successfully intercepted the ball in midfield and quickly passed it to the onrushing Lu Chuan. Lu Chuan had his back to the goal, facing Las Palmas defender Álvaro Lemos.
This was a dangerous position; Lemos was tightly marking him, giving him no space to turn.
At that very moment, Lu Chuan activated his [Direction Change Acceleration Master] skill.
His body suddenly feinted to the right, and Lemos instinctively followed. But in the next second, Lu Chuan sharply flicked to the left, and his entire body, like an arrow released from a bow, instantly shook off Lemos!
"Oh my god! He beat him!" the commentator shouted excitedly.
After shaking off the defender, Lu Chuan didn't hesitate for a second, winding up his right foot for a powerful long-range shot!
The ball, like a cannonball, flew straight towards the top right corner of the goal!
Las Palmas' goalkeeper made a desperate save but could only touch the edge of the ball. The net bulged violently!
1-1! Rayo Vallecano equalized!
"Goooooal!" The commentator's voice was almost tearing his throat, "Lu Chuan! It's Lu Chuan again! This is his 18th consecutive League goal! Simply incredible!"
Lu Chuan clenched his fists and ran towards the bench. He hugged Juan tightly and whispered in his ear: "Tell Paco, we need to adjust our defense!"
In the hotel room, Paco jumped up excitedly but quickly frowned. He responded through his earpiece: "Stick to the original tactics! Trust me!"
Lu Chuan returned to the field, filled with doubt. Paco's insistence made him uneasy. But as captain, he had to follow the coach's instructions.
The game continued, but Rayo Vallecano's goal did not change the situation on the field. Las Palmas' midfield still firmly controlled the pace of the game.
Pedri's performance in midfield was particularly outstanding. At just 17 years old, he displayed football intelligence and skill far beyond his age.
Every touch he made was full of threat.
In the 35th minute, disaster struck again.
Viera received the ball on the right wing, faked a move to get past Advíncula, and then delivered a precise cross.
In the center, veteran Rubén Castro shook off Ullóa's marking and scored with a tap-in at the front post!
2-1! Las Palmas took the lead again!
Ullóa lowered his head in frustration. He knew this goal was his responsibility—as a temporary center-back, his weakness in aerial defense was mercilessly exploited by the opponent.
Lu Chuan patted Ullóa's shoulder: "Don't blame yourself, keep working hard."
But the situation on the field grew worse and worse. Rayo Vallecano's 3-4-3 formation was full of holes in the face of Las Palmas' attack.
In the 43rd minute, Pedri put on a solo performance in midfield.
He dribbled past both Comesaña and Suárez consecutively, then passed the ball to the unmarked Juanjo Narváez on the left wing.
Narváez calmly slotted the ball into the net again!
3-1! Before halftime, Las Palmas had already taken a two-goal lead!
The whistle blew, and Rayo Vallecano's players walked dejectedly to the locker room. Paco's big gamble seemed to have failed.
In the hotel room, Paco Jémez angrily smashed the tactics board to the ground. His gamble was too big, and the result was disastrous.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" He paced back and forth in the room, then picked up the phone and dialed Juan's number.
In the locker room, the atmosphere was heavy. No one spoke, only heavy breathing could be heard.
Juan's phone rang, and he walked to the corner to answer it. A moment later, he returned to the middle of the team, his expression serious.
"Paco said to revert to the 4-2-3-1 formation." He looked around at everyone, finally settling his gaze on Lu Chuan, "He also said, tell Lu Chuan to fight for dignity."
Lu Chuan stood up and looked around at each of his teammates. Their eyes were filled with fatigue and disappointment.
The shadow of four consecutive losses had not yet dissipated, and now they faced the possibility of a fifth defeat.
"gentlemen," Lu Chuan's voice was not loud but clear, "I know everyone is very tired and very disappointed. But please remember, we represent not only ourselves, but also the fans who always support us."
He pointed to the team crest on his chest, "For this crest, for our dignity, in the second half, we must fight until the last second!"
Trejo was the first to stand up and walk to Lu Chuan's side: "We'll fight with you, Captain."
One by one, the teammates stood up and formed a circle. Everyone stacked their hands together, forming an unbreakable fortress.
"For Vallecas!" Lu Chuan shouted loudly.
"Fight!" Everyone responded in unison, their voices echoing in the locker room.
The second half began, and Rayo Vallecano adjusted to a 4-2-3-1 formation. Ullóa returned to the striker position, while Lu Chuan dropped back to attacking midfielder, responsible for organizing attacks.
This adjustment immediately paid off. Rayo Vallecano's defense became more solid, and the midfield was no longer completely suppressed by the opponent.
Lu Chuan, in the attacking midfield position, displayed extraordinary organizational ability. Every pass he made was full of imagination and threat.
In the 58th minute, Lu Chuan delivered a brilliant through ball in midfield, and Trejo charged forward to create a one-on-one opportunity!
Trejo faced the goalkeeper, calmly slotted the ball in, and it was a goal! 3-2!
Rayo Vallecano's players celebrated wildly; they saw a glimmer of hope.
Las Palmas' coach Pepe Mel roared from the sidelines, instructing his players to strengthen their defense. But Rayo Vallecano's offensive was like a tsunami, wave after wave.
In the 67th minute, Lu Chuan earned a free-kick opportunity just outside the penalty area. This was a very dangerous position, about 25 meters from the goal.
Lu Chuan stood in front of the ball, taking a deep breath. The entire stadium was silent; all eyes were focused on him.
He took two steps and struck with his right foot! The ball, like a cannonball, traced a perfect arc, flying straight towards the top left corner of the goal!
Las Palmas' goalkeeper made a desperate dive but could only watch the ball hit the net!
3-3! Rayo Vallecano miraculously equalized!
"Incredible! Simply incredible!" The commentator's voice trembled with excitement,
"Lu Chuan! This Chinese youngster, with a world-class free-kick, completed the equalizer! This is his second goal of the match, and his 18th consecutive League goal!"
In the hotel room, Paco jumped up excitedly, nearly knocking over the coffee on the table.
He shouted to Juan through his earpiece: "Tell them to keep attacking! We can win!"
On the field, Rayo Vallecano's players were greatly boosted in morale. They were no longer content with a draw and began to push for victory.
But Las Palmas was not to be trifled with either. Pedri and Viera's collaboration in midfield remained threatening. Both teams engaged in a frantic attacking exchange.
The game entered its final ten minutes, and the situation on the field was deadlocked. Both teams created chances, but neither could convert them into goals.
In the 87th minute, Las Palmas earned a corner kick. Pedri took it, and the ball accurately found Castro at the far post.
Castro headed the ball towards the goal, and it looked like it was going in, but Dimitrievski made a desperate save, tipping the ball over the crossbar!
Rayo Vallecano narrowly escaped!
The chance for a counterattack came! Dimitrievski quickly threw the ball to Álvaro García on the left wing. Álvaro dribbled furiously, charging across midfield.
Lu Chuan made a high-speed run through the middle, shaking off his defender. He raised his hand for the ball, and Álvaro delivered a precise pass to him.
Lu Chuan controlled the ball at the edge of the penalty area, facing Las Palmas' last line of defense.
Time seemed to stand still at this moment.
Lu Chuan saw Pedri frantically chasing back from behind, saw the goalkeeper rushing out anxiously, and saw Trejo unmarked on the right wing.
He made his decision—not to shoot himself, but to cross the ball to Trejo!
Trejo faced an open goal and easily slotted the ball into the net!
4-3! Rayo Vallecano completed a stunning comeback in the final moments of the match!
"Goooooal!" The commentator's voice was almost tearing his throat,
"Trejo! Rayo Vallecano has taken the lead! This is an incredible comeback! From 0-3 down, to 4-3 up! This is simply a miracle of football!"
Las Palmas' players collapsed to the ground, watching the scoreboard in disbelief. Their lead had been completely erased in just 30 minutes.
The moment the final whistle blew, Rayo Vallecano's players celebrated wildly. They rushed to the center of the field and hoisted Lu Chuan high into the air.
Lu Chuan raised his hands, saluting the few Rayo Vallecano fans in the stands. Tears welled up in his eyes; this victory was hard-won.
Pedri walked over and extended his hand to Lu Chuan: "You are a true leader. Congratulations on your victory."
Lu Chuan shook his hand and nodded: "You are a genius, the future belongs to you."
The two smiled at each other, their hearts filled with mutual respect.
Back in the locker room, Juan's phone rang.
It was a video call from Paco. On the screen, Paco's eyes were red, and his voice was choked: "gentlemen, you have created a miracle! I am proud of you!"
The players gathered around the phone, cheering excitedly. At this moment, all the difficulties and setbacks turned into the joy of victory.
Lu Chuan sat in the corner, silently taking off his captain's armband. His face was etched with fatigue and satisfaction.
The system's prompt sounded in his mind:
"Ding! Host led the team to complete a stunning comeback!"
"Match Rating: 9.9!"
"LP earned: 500 (Comeback Victory) + 200 (Brace) + 100 (Crucial Assist) = 800LP!"
"Current LP balance: 4780 + 800 = 5580LP"
But at this moment, these numbers were no longer so important to him. What was important was that they won, and the team had regained its confidence and fighting spirit.
His phone vibrated; it was a message from Esther: "I watched the live broadcast! I can't believe it! You guys are amazing! I love you, my hero!"
Lu Chuan smiled and replied: "We won. When I get home, get your kitchen ready, I'm looking forward to your 'celebratory feast'."
He knew this victory was just the beginning.
There was still one more League match, and even more brutal playoffs ahead. But at this moment, he allowed himself and his teammates to briefly celebrate this hard-won victory.
The nightmare of "five consecutive losses" was broken, and the legend of "eighteen consecutive goals" continued.
Rayo Vallecano, this working-class team, completed the most astonishing comeback on the edge of fate.
And Lu Chuan, as captain, would lead this team forward until the dream of reaching La Liga came true.