Chapter 26: The Glory of La Liga ?
Before heading to Galicia, where Deportivo La Coruña is based, Mallorca's official announcement revealed that Nadal, N'Gonga, Olazabal, Francisco Soler, and Miguel Soler would all miss the match due to various injuries and stay on the island to recover...
The news immediately shocked all of Spain!
The shock wasn't about the injuries themselves but the fact that no one believed Mallorca would lose five key players at once, and especially veterans over thirty years old—so shameless! If you're conserving strength, at least come up with a better excuse, not these absurd injuries... Are they playing us for fools?
José, however, began to show that the young man wasn't any less crafty than the old foxes. At the pre-match press conference, he said, in all seriousness, "I'm not lying. Miguel and the others are indeed injured. Miguel and Vicente have been exhausted from constant games, given they're both 35-year-old players. Miguel and Javier also suffered minor strains in training. As for Francisco... he tripped and fell at home..."
The journalists collectively booed, showing their disdain for the young coach who was clearly making up stories—well, we journalists may lie, that's part of the job, but you, as the head coach, should be doing better! Don't steal our jobs!
But when Deportivo La Coruña's coach Irureta spoke to the press, he laughed and said, "I believe José. This is good news for us. Maybe we'll secure our first-place position in the standings more easily... Mallorca is a strong team, and the injuries to half of their key players have certainly lightened the pressure for us."
The old fox laughed happily. This young guy wanted to put on an act, but that wasn't Irureta's concern—what mattered was the three points, and even if Monaco had been fooled by José, what did that have to do with La Coruña? After all, they weren't a La Liga team...
However, in the match that followed, Deportivo, who had been in less-than-ideal form, surprisingly found themselves overwhelmed by a Mallorca side with half its main players on the field. Despite using mostly young players in defense, José orchestrated a powerful attack with his strongest offensive line. Most of the game was played in Deportivo's half, with Tristan, Ibagasa, Stankovic... even Carlos, who had been relegated to the bench, showing impressive form!
But Deportivo, relying on their vast experience, handled the game through counterattacks. In the 9th minute, Makay broke through Mallorca's hastily organized defense after receiving a through pass from Dejamija and scored. Shortly after halftime, Dejamija added a beautiful long-range shot to extend the lead...