"Mallorca takes the lead away from home! This is Tristan's third goal in consecutive matches, while his total league goals for the first half of the season were only five! In just two matches, Tristan's goals have already exceeded half of his total for the first half of the season. This proves that José knows how to use Tristan more effectively than his predecessor Gómez. His ability to activate such a skilled striker makes José look superior to Gómez. For the Spanish national team, Tristan's rise seems to solve the concern about lacking a central forward for the upcoming European Championship this summer."
The commentators began to acknowledge José's influence in his second match as coach. Regardless of whether his father was the president of Mallorca, José had achieved victory in his first match, and now his team was leading again. It was clear that this success wasn't just a stroke of luck.
However, if we're talking about luck, Mallorca's 3-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in the first half did have some element of fortune. Despite José's tactical setup suppressing Rayo Vallecano's offensive play, the fact that they never created good shooting opportunities showed that Rayo Vallecano had bad luck. In this match, however, Numancia seemed to have better luck.
In the previous match, young goalkeeper Franco was not heavily tested. The few shots that Rayo Vallecano managed to direct at the goal were weak and easily saved. The most threatening shot hit the crossbar, so Franco had some good fortune, especially considering the nervous tension he must have felt.
But in this match, Franco was given more opportunities to show his skills.
After Tristan scored first, Numancia's attack became more aggressive. Earlier, they had been content to fight Mallorca to a draw, as it didn't matter much to them. But now, trailing by one goal, the Numancia players knew instinctively that it was time to attack.
Mallorca's defense was solid, but solid doesn't mean invulnerable—there would always be vulnerabilities. The goal was to reduce the number of threatening shots from the opponent and prevent them from shooting in dangerous areas.
In the last match, Mallorca had successfully shut down Rayo Vallecano, partly due to their strength and partly because of luck. But in this match, that same luck wasn't with them anymore.
In the 21st minute, Numancia's forward received a pass from a teammate, controlled the ball inside the box, and shot immediately before Nadal could block him. Franco made a flying dive to block the shot, which rolled toward the sideline. A Numancia player quickly intercepted it and crossed the ball back in.
Franco, who had already fallen to the ground, scrambled to his feet, leaped high to intercept the ball before the opposing forward could get to it, and caught it in mid-air.
Franco quickly rolled on the grass to regain his balance and threw the ball out forcefully.
José gave a small nod. He chose Franco over the experienced Argentine goalkeeper Boggs because Franco was younger and had more potential for growth. Boggs, at 30 years old, hadn't been performing excellently, so it made more sense to develop a homegrown goalkeeper like Franco, who José trusted more.
Franco, however, was no slouch, and José remembered that he would eventually become Argentina's national goalkeeper. Though Argentina's post-Roa national goalkeepers were sometimes unreliable, Franco had the makings of a solid and dependable keeper.
Franco went on to make several more important saves, stabilizing the situation for Mallorca. As a result, Mallorca began a few attacks, with Tristan continuing to impress. Numancia also ramped up their defense on him, marking him tightly. This was Tristan's first season in the top league, and he had already become the primary defensive target for the opposing defenders.
José wasn't worried about this. For a striker like Tristan, tight marking wasn't enough to stop him. Even if he was quiet for 89 minutes, a single moment of brilliance could make up for all of that.
Moreover, Numancia's attack wasn't posing much of a threat to Mallorca's defense. Though they had created a few chances, Mallorca's young goalkeeper Franco was performing admirably, ensuring the defense remained strong.
The game could continue like this, and Mallorca's attack had been quite consistent. As long as they seized a couple of opportunities, extending their lead wouldn't be a problem.
However, as the game went on, José's brows furrowed more frequently. Mallorca's attack was simple: pass the ball through the middle, make crosses from the wings, and let Tristan battle for the ball in the box. But this strategy wasn't creating as much of a threat as it should have. Tristan's physicality was essential, but the other forward, Carlos, who started alongside him, was disappointing. Most of the time, he seemed to run aimlessly like a headless chicken. Standing at just 1.6 meters tall, with poor positioning and slow speed, Carlos wasn't living up to expectations.
Perhaps he was a poacher like Inzaghi, but José had no patience to wait for him to find his form. Right now, Mallorca's primary concern was staying out of relegation, not nurturing players who might not be up to the task.
Carlos, now 26, seemed unlikely to develop into a better player under José's guidance.
In the second half, Carlos's performance showed no improvement. José shook his head and turned to the bench, speaking to Eto'o: "Samuel, go warm up."
From the start of the match, Eto'o had been watching with his chin resting in his hand. What disappointed him was that Mallorca's attack seemed focused more on the wings. The central-forward play was effective for someone like Tristan, who thrived on aerial balls, but Eto'o, being a nimble and technically gifted striker, needed through balls on the ground, not crosses.
However, after observing Carlos's performance, Eto'o began to understand why José needed him. Carlos's poor performance made it clear that his presence on the field was urgently required. Even if Eto'o himself wasn't known for making runs or finishing off crosses, he would have been able to take advantage of the several clear-cut chances Carlos had missed.
"This tactic may not suit me, but as long as I'm on the field, there's a chance I could score," Eto'o thought to himself.
Soon enough, José's voice called out to him: "Warm up." At that moment, Eto'o's heart raced as he nodded quickly. He threw off his jacket and ran out.
While warming up, Eto'o observed the game closely. Just as he had noticed before, Numancia was playing solidly, but being a goal behind, they had begun pushing forward. This had a lot to do with Mallorca's lack of pace up front. As mentioned, Tristan wasn't fast, and Carlos, though short, was also lacking in speed.
"The Mallorca players are warming up... In the last match, José didn't make any substitutions, which made me think the team only had those eleven players... Now, it looks like the young forward from Real Madrid, 19-year-old Cameroonian Samuel Eto'o, is about to make his debut. He's from Real Madrid's youth system but never scored a goal for them. Since José took over, the transfer window had closed, so he had to make do with loan players. Let's see if the young coach's choice can bring something special to the team in this match."
After warming up, José pulled Eto'o aside, whispering in his ear: "When you get on, position yourself behind Diego. Tell Vicente not to play wide but to try long balls straight to Diego. And tell Diego to set up for you whenever that happens. As for the rest... I'm sure you know what to do."
Eto'o nodded firmly. He understood the tactical plan. It was simple but suited him perfectly—long balls from the back to the striker, with Diego flicking it on for him to sprint onto, possibly setting up a one-on-one chance.
Even though his teammates weren't yet fully familiar with his style, this straightforward approach would allow Eto'o to showcase his speed and ability.
José's personalized tactical plan made Eto'o feel appreciated. It was the first time a coach had tailored the strategy so specifically for him. It made him feel that José truly valued his contribution to the team.
After briefing Eto'o, José gave him a push on the back: "Go on, Samuel... You might not score, but your presence will make a difference in this match!"
Eto'o nodded again, then walked towards the center circle, lifting each foot for the fourth official to check his studs, eagerly waiting for the moment he would enter the game.