During halftime, Vázquez didn't notice Mallorca's targeted tactics. He simply felt that Mallorca's defensive recovery was still quite solid. However, he still believed that with his team's offense, they would certainly be able to tear apart the opponent's defense...
Thus, he didn't come up with any specific tactical adjustments. He only asked for a more aggressive attack in the second half, with the full-backs also moving wide to disrupt the opponent's defense, without worrying too much about Mallorca's counterattacks, especially since Mallorca lacked fast players up front. Even though Tristan was great, he still needed support from the midfield.
So, at the beginning of the second half, Rayo Vallecano continued their aggressive attacks from the first half. They kept passing the ball back and forth in midfield before launching offensive moves, trying to wear down Mallorca's defense and create openings.
In contrast to Rayo Vallecano's relentless attacking play, Mallorca's defense could be described as "immovable as a mountain." Even though Vallecano's players continuously moved the ball around, trying to break through, Mallorca's defenders remained firmly in place inside their penalty area, blocking crosses from the wings and cutting off any central penetrations. When an opportunity arose, they would clear the ball long to Tristan up front, buying time for a breather.
José stood in front of the coaching area, watching everything unfold. He knew that his offensive tactics couldn't be deployed carelessly when there were no clear opportunities. At least, they couldn't afford to raise the opponent's alertness. Before that, his main concern was ensuring that his team could defend effectively against the opponent's attacks.
Though confident in Mallorca's defensive ability, José knew that the football field often brought unexpected events. Even the best defense could sometimes be broken by a careless attack.
When a through ball from Sembranos just outside the penalty box was met by striker Canaval, who hit the post with an acrobatic volley, José's heart skipped a beat. He only began to relax when Franco scrambled to smother the ball under him, the pounding in his chest slowly subsiding.
"Damn it, managing a professional team really isn't the same as managing a youth team... This is intense!" José wiped away a bead of sweat and thought to himself—though he always seemed mature in front of his players, he wasn't even thirty yet, counting his age before his rebirth.
After that missed chance, Rayo Vallecano's offensive momentum slowed down a little. However, they quickly launched another attack!
Clearly, the post had sparked hope in them for an equalizer, or even to take the lead in one go.
Mallorca's defense seemed to be pushed even further back, now compressed into a thirty-meter area, relentlessly bombarded. Vallecano's attack was fierce, but few noticed that the gaps on the wings were beginning to widen. Though Stankovic and Ibagasa were dropping back to help defend, one of them was always poised up front, ready for a counterattack.
Mallorca was now just waiting for a mistake from Vallecano's offense—who would blink first?
Fortunately, Mallorca's mistake came later than the opponent's, and Vallecano's own error doomed their hopes of victory...
In the 71st minute, Sembranos received the ball in the center, then passed it to the right-winger, Michel. Michel saw that full-back Cody had already pushed forward, so he immediately sent a through ball in his direction.
Just as Cody was about to receive the ball, Mallorca's left-back Olazábal darted out from the penalty box, performing an incredibly quick sliding tackle to intercept the pass!
Cody and Michel were both momentarily stunned. Seeing Olazábal break up the pass, they weren't thinking of getting back into position, but instead, they were focusing on regaining possession up front...
Olazábal didn't miss the chance. Instead of getting up, he swept the ball forward while still on the ground, sending it to Stankovic, who hadn't tracked back.
Stankovic stopped the ball with his foot and immediately pushed it forward, charging into Vallecano's half. Meanwhile, Carlos and Tristan surged into Vallecano's penalty area, with Ibagasa, who had dropped back to help defend, also quickly catching up and rushing forward!
Mallorca's counterattack exploded like a flood!
"Get back!" Vázquez shouted from the sidelines. He still didn't realize that Mallorca's counterattack was intentional. But by now, three players from Mallorca had already crossed the halfway line, with Ibagasa following closely behind. Vallecano's defenders only had three players in the back. It was 4v3, and this situation was already very dangerous.
Stankovic sprinted forward with the ball. Despite not being particularly fast, the opponent's full-back on that side had already sprinted toward the baseline, leaving Michel in pursuit, a good distance away. Stankovic, in the absence of any defenders, pushed the ball forward three or four meters at a time, then took a long stride to catch up, repeating the process. This simple dribbling technique minimized the risk of being caught.
Meanwhile, Carlos and Tristan also sprinted down the middle. Vallecano's three defenders started retreating. One of them positioned himself to block Stankovic's route to the penalty area, while the other two followed Carlos and Tristan to prevent them from shooting in a dangerous area.
As Stankovic reached the edge of the penalty area, he looked up and assessed the situation. Seeing that Tristan had already made a run into the penalty area and Carlos was in a slightly deeper position, Stankovic decided not to try to dribble into the box himself, as one of the defenders was closing in from the side. Instead, he adjusted his position and crossed the ball into the penalty area.
His target was Tristan, the dominant figure in the box.
Gasping for breath, Tristan charged into the penalty area. Though his large frame meant he couldn't sprint too fast, he was still young and had plenty of stamina, so he was able to keep up.
Though his sprint had left him slightly winded, Tristan's focus didn't waver. He could sense his teammates behind him, and he knew the two defenders were watching his every move.
"A striker needs to have a strong desire to score, but that doesn't mean he should take every shot himself. Football, at its core, is about creating local advantages. The team that can create more of these advantages will have the greatest chance of victory."
Tristan recalled José's words from his youth team days as the two defenders closed in. Though Tristan had immense confidence in his abilities, he knew this was the "local advantage" José had spoken about—just this time, it was the opponent's local advantage...
Just as Tristan was thinking this, Stankovic crossed the ball into the penalty area!
Despite knowing that the defenders had a numerical advantage, Tristan fearlessly jumped to meet the ball. Using his momentum, he leapt higher than usual.
The two Vallecano defenders jumped to challenge him, but despite their efforts, they couldn't match his height or leaping ability. However, they weren't too worried, as the ball was only slightly in front of the penalty spot, not too close to the goal. Even if they couldn't clear it in time, they could still disrupt Tristan's header.
Tristan knew this too. As their bodies collided in mid-air, he twisted his head and forcefully directed the ball toward the far side!
"Yes!" José leaped to his feet, fists clenched tightly—though Carlos had run to the wrong spot, Ibagasa had already surged forward and was in the right place for a potential finish!
The ball landed, and Tristan and the two defenders were still in the air.
Ibagasa stretched out his foot, tapping the ball forward. Without hesitation, he swung his right foot and struck it with force!
"Put it in!" José roared from the sidelines.
Keller's view was blocked, and since his focus had been entirely on Tristan, by the time he saw the ball, it was already zipping toward the near post!
As the ball flew past Keller's fingertips, the American goalkeeper knew his timing had been off. He hadn't managed to cover the shooting angle, and now the ball was almost certain to score...
Keller's assessment was correct. The next moment, the crowd at the St. Moïse Stadium erupted in deafening cheers—a cheer that could only have come from Mallorca's fans.
"Goal! Tristan's header finds Ibagasa, who calmly slots the ball into the bottom corner! 2-0, Mallorca extends their lead… Let's look at the stats... This is Mallorca's second shot on target this match, and both have resulted in goals! Incredible efficiency! Mallorca's counterattacks have been exceptional, reminiscent of last season's Mallorca, who finished the season with only 48 goals and 31 conceded from 38 matches—a Mallorca we all know well!"
The fans in the stands didn't share the commentator's awe; they were simply cheering loudly, showering praise on Ibagasa, the little Argentine who had scored the second goal...
As Tristan and Ibagasa hugged, the cheers grew even louder. Though Ibagasa's performance this season had been average, Mallorca's fans hadn't forgotten his excellent performance from last season. Now, with his first goal of the season, everyone was thrilled for him, while Tristan had emerged as Mallorca's new hope!