Chapter 126: Not the Time to Celebrate Yet
When Ronaldinho scored the decisive goal, the entire Estadi de Son Moix erupted in celebration. However, José did not join the frenzy; instead, he froze in place. The goal looked eerily familiar—almost identical to the one Ronaldinho would score for Barcelona at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea in the future. A masterpiece that, despite not securing victory for Barcelona at the time, was widely recognized as a moment of genius. Yet here it was, happening four years earlier right before José's eyes!
For a brief moment, José felt as if he had rewritten history.
It wasn't until Natal came rushing over, hugging him in excitement and shouting, "We're going to win!" that José snapped back to reality and finally smiled.
"Yes, we're going to win... and we're just..."
"One point away!" Everyone around him roared in unison, their voices filled with elation.
This was an attacking display that could bring tears to the eyes. A victory so hard-fought, so exhilarating, that it left everyone breathless.
In the final minute, Valencia failed to pull off a miracle. They were not a team known for explosive goal-scoring outbursts. Solid, difficult to beat, but also hard-pressed to turn a game around in extreme situations. Just like their coach, Héctor Cúper—he could build an incredibly stable team, yet somehow always fell short of true greatness.
When the final whistle blew, Mallorca's fans erupted in jubilant cheers. After their previous league defeat, some had doubted their chances of breaking into the top four, but this hard-earned victory had suddenly made Champions League qualification feel tantalizingly close.