Loach (2)
◆ Levante UD. Relegated to La Liga 2 alongside Elche CF two seasons ago, the club had lingered in the mid-table last season. Through the 2010s, they'd stayed in La Liga continuously except for the 2016-17 campaign, all the way up to the 2021-22 season. But after 2022-23, they fell into a pattern of constant promotion and relegation battles.
Once always touted as a prime promotion contender in La Liga 2, this season they weren't even mentioned in that conversation. Most pundits pegged them for mid-table at best. The reason was simple: financial woes had led to a mass exodus of decent players, sold off for peanuts on the transfer market. And it didn't stop there—with a new president came a new manager and coaching staff. The team's pillars had been uprooted and replanted, so it was obvious it'd take time for them to take root again.
Luckily, Levante UD hadn't crumbled as expected through the first seven rounds. Sure, it was still early days, but they'd climbed into the upper mid-table—better than predicted—so it wasn't a bad start by any means.
The broadcast camera zoomed in on Levante UD's striker pumping his fists in an uppercut celebration.
Manuel Olivabas.
"That goal makes it his 7th of the season already."
"He's the absolute core of Levante this year. Without Cha Tae-oh, he'd be hailed as La Liga 2's top striker."
Solid physique, decent speed, top-class finishing, and elite heading ability. He'd flown under the radar until last season, but this year he was transforming Levante UD single-handedly.
"So some players focus on shedding muscle instead?"
Levante UD's upper mid-table position was all thanks to Manuel Olivabas. And this capable striker was exposing the fatal flaw in Jordi Calavera's tactical experiments.
Pierre Mvubu shone in the defensive midfield spot with his tackling and quick feet, but as a central No. 8, he was neither fish nor fowl, disappointing everyone. Vulnerable to pressure, his once-solid buildup play vanished entirely.
"Jordi Calavera rubs his temples."
"Alcorcon feeling Maurinho's absence hard. How will they navigate this crisis? Three minutes of stoppage time."
Spotting the weakness, Levante UD targeted Pierre Mvubu relentlessly. AD Alcorcon players had no choice but to focus on shutting it down…
Beep— Beeeep—!
Halftime arrived. That flaw had to be fixed. After a fleeting 15 minutes, the second half kicked off. Jordi Calavera launched his second tactical tweak.
"Yes. Pierre Mvubu drops deeper, and David Fraile joins him in defensive midfield. Classic double pivot."
To salvage Pierre Mvubu and balance midfield, he'd dragged David Fraile down to the double pivot too. Back in position, Pierre quickly regained his form.
Buildup play changed too.
"Gustavo Hossa's pushing up like a forward now."
"Pierre Mvubu holds in front of the center-backs for counters. That's Alcorcon."
It perfectly mirrored games with Maurinho: Gustavo Hossa in Tae-oh's spot, Tae-oh in Maurinho's. On transition, David Fraile bombed back for the double pivot. Familiar setup—Alcorcon's possession surged in the second half, buildup flowing smoothly.
The problem?
"Finishing's off. Just not clicking."
Gustavo Hossa's poor finishing. With Tae-oh dropping to link play, chances right in front of goal dried up for him.
Jordi Calavera tried putting Tae-oh up top again, shifting Gustavo Hossa to the left half-space…
"What the hell was that?"
"Pass timing's way off. Gustavo Hossa's rhythm doesn't sync with the rest of Alcorcon."
A mismatched cog grinding the gears.
Korean soccer fans watching the match furrowed their brows. It wasn't just them.
"Damn it. That Gustavo guy's wrecking the whole team."
"Where'd last season's form go?"
"He just doesn't fit Calavera's tactics."
"Then bench him! Why start him every game since last one, fuck."
"Just hand it all to Theo. Can't understand this frustrating shit."
Twenty minutes into the second half. Every time Gustavo Hossa touched the ball, sighs rippled through the home crowd. As if to prove something, his individualistic play grew worse.
…Am I being too greedy?
Watching it unfold, Jordi Calavera smacked his lips bitterly.
Truth be told, sticking to a Tae-oh-centric tactic would guarantee wins, as fans said. But he couldn't. With rumors swirling that Tae-oh might leave as soon as January, over-relying on him meant inevitable collapse later.
He couldn't ditch Gustavo Hossa easily—the best among the bench options, even if he ignored instructions.
…Not today.
Jordi Calavera shook his head slightly. No more watching Gustavo run wild like a loose dog.
"Pulling Gustavo Hossa, Jordi Calavera brings on No. 16 Oscar Santos."
"Back to 4-3-3. Oscar Santos was Maurinho's backup anyway."
The experiments ended at the 28th minute. Fans hoped Gustavo's exit restored normalcy.
But.
Why Jordi Calavera had tried salvaging Gustavo? The backup midfielder showed it in five minutes flat.
Midfield-to-attack distribution still lagged. Alcorcon's attacks morphed into direct, long balls from back to front.
No choice now. With under ten minutes left, funneling everything to Tae-oh maximized win odds.
And Tae-oh…
Thud—!
"GOOOAAAL! Cha Tae-oh!"
"As expected!"
"Alcorcon's fixer, Cha Tae-oh, with the winner! Clean right-foot finish! Multi-goal game again! 2-1, Alcorcon back in front!"
…was the striker who pulled off the impossible.