After the second half began, San Remo made some changes, taking off the team's starting right winger and right midfielder.
But San Remo's substitutes were clearly not up to the task, and the team soon conceded.
The opposing team had opened up San Remo's right flank to score.
The team's substitute right winger, right midfielder, and right center-back Nagy all had to take responsibility.
But Lu Yang soon steadied the situation.
The Knee-Tap Lift he had performed in the first half had made the opposing defenders afraid to get too close, giving him plenty of room to work. He threaded through-balls and sent long passes, creating one dangerous attack after another and winning several corners.
Finally, during one corner, Nagy—whose heading ability was second to none—scored another header to atone for his earlier mistake.
It was his fourth goal of the season.
For a center-back, those were exceptional numbers.
In the eighty-fifth minute, with Lu Yang closely marked by several defenders, he passed to Moric and surged forward. He received Moric's long pass inside the penalty area and, after cushioning the ball perfectly with his instep, unleashed a powerful shot.
His Rising Shot sailed past the goalkeeper as he went to ground and struck the upper inside netting at an unusual angle.
That was the last goal of the match.
San Remo claimed an easy 4–1 victory.
This match further showcased Moric's vision and ability to control the team. With a goal and an assist, he earned the highest rating of the game.
Lu Yang had also shone, announcing his return with the outstanding tally of a goal and two assists. He was named the Man of the Match and received the same top rating as Moric.
While Moric focused on orchestrating the team's play, Lu Yang took responsibility for initiating attacks. He still wasn't the kind of leader who could command the entire field, but he had clearly shown a talent for delivering the decisive final pass.
He was gradually becoming a capable second-in-command.
In both attack and defense, he could be the final straw that helped San Remo and Moric crush their opponents.
That impressive performance earned Lu Yang another random gift pack.
"Ding! You have acquired the star-level skill Redondo's Heel!"
Lu Yang was satisfied.
Though it wasn't another skill from the "Wolf" series, Redondo's Heel was unquestionably one of the most dazzling and dreamlike ways to play football.
Redondo had played for teams such as Real Madrid and AC Milan. He was a defensive midfielder known for his elegant style.
Back then, midfield playmakers hadn't yet moved deeper, and defensive midfielders were often synonymous with defenders.
A defender praised for an elegant playing style was an extreme rarity.
There weren't many attacking players who earned that distinction, either.
That showed just how clean Redondo's technique was.
A heel touch was somewhat similar to a Rabona and could be used to pass or shoot. But compared to a Rabona, heel touches happened more often because they were harder to read and more practical.
Even when it came to showing off, the heel was just as impressive as the Rabona.
Lu Yang Returns! San Remo Win Ten in a Row!
<Breaking into the Top Three, San Remo Make History!>
<One Goal and Two Assists Decide the Match—He's Still Running Riot in Serie D!>
<Beating Up on Weak Teams Proves Nothing—Vedian Struggles and Fails to Score!>
<Two Players Withdrawn at Half-Time—San Remo Face Injury Crisis!>
<Fourteen Goals and Eleven Assists—Lu Yang's Terrifying Half-Season Numbers Leave Serie D in the Dust!>
<Five Goals and Sixteen Assists—Moric Locks Up the League Assist Title in Just Half a Season!>
<Vedian Misses an Open Goal, One Short of a Legendary 25+10 Season!>
The media buzzed with commentary.
The good news was that Francavilla had lost its clash with Catania, leaving it on 69 points.
Catania had also won this round and reached 69 points. But thanks to its head-to-head record of one win and one draw, it moved ahead of Francavilla.
That knocked Francavilla out of the promotion places and down to sixth in the standings.
Just four rounds ago, Francavilla had been second in the standings, level on points with Bisceglie, who were in first place at the time.
Now, in the blink of an eye, it had fallen to sixth.
The intensity of the competition was plain to see.
Catania sat in fifth, finally returning to the promotion places. It was their first time back in the top five since San Remo had beaten them and knocked them out.
Palermo continued to win, reaching 70 points and claiming fourth place.
San Remo dispatched its opponents with ease, reaching 72 points and taking third—and... drawing level with second-place Bisceglie!
Yes, Bisceglie had stumbled too. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that both teams at the top of the standings had stumbled.
That was because Bisceglie's opponent this round had been none other than Turris, the league leaders.
When two strong teams met, one had to lose.
But in the end, both lost out.
They drew. Turris remained at the top with 74 points, but was now only two points ahead of the teams in second and third.
Bisceglie had 72 points, level with San Remo. Their head-to-head record was one win and one loss apiece.
But Bisceglie had beaten San Remo 4–1 in the first half of the season, while San Remo had beaten Bisceglie 3–2 in the second. Bisceglie had the better goal difference, so it ranked higher.
There were only two rounds left, and plenty of crucial matches remained.
The top-of-the-table clash between Bisceglie and Turris this round was only the beginning.
In the next round, Bisceglie would once again face a top-six team: Palermo.
And in the final round, Bisceglie would take on Francavilla.
Their schedule in the final stretch was a nightmare.
Meanwhile, their star striker Arnold had hit a goal drought. Bisceglie's recent inconsistency stemmed from this: they lacked someone who could step up in big matches.
Arnold could score against weaker teams, but he went ice-cold against focused defensive setups.
That might have been a common problem for flank speedsters: tactically, opponents could shut them down with ease.
Likewise, San Remo faced a crucial match in the final round, when they would take on the current league leaders, Turris.
That meant they might be able to take their fate into their own hands.
The two teams were only two points apart. If San Remo won, they could overtake Turris.
Of course, that would only matter if Bisceglie failed to win both of its remaining matches.
If Bisceglie won both, then even if San Remo beat Turris, they would still finish level on points with Bisceglie—and lose out on the head-to-head record and goal difference.
For a while, news stories speculated about who might earn promotion and win the title.
Likewise, any team could still miss out on promotion, because the gap between first place and fifth or sixth was still only five points.
In theory, anything could happen in the remaining two matches.
San Remo Football Club, chairman's office.
The club chairman had summoned Soto to discuss an important matter.
"Is there any chance we can get promoted this season?" Chairman Russell asked anxiously. He was the chairman of Russell Construction Company and one of Italy's major property developers.
His greatest dream was to build San Remo its own large stadium, instead of the old one that could hold only two thousand people.
But only a good team deserved a good stadium.
All San Remo needed now was a good record!
Forget Serie A—even if San Remo could reach Serie B, Russell would dare to start building the stadium!
The city government was fully behind him and hoped he would get construction underway as soon as possible.
"It's hard to say. We're dealing with an injury crisis, sir." Soto frowned.
The team's starting right winger and right midfielder had both suffered muscle strains. They would struggle to perform well in the next two matches, so Soto had to rule them out to give them time to recover.
That meant... San Remo now had three first-team regulars out injured.
Klopp had even said that if a team lost three of its regulars, not even Manchester City could reach the Champions League final.
How could Soto promise anything?
"If we get promoted to Serie C, I'll buy you any players you want next season... as long as they're willing to come," Russell said earnestly.
We have money!
We just need promotion.
The two went on to discuss the team's transfer targets.
Soto had given Russell a list in advance and asked him to send people out to negotiate. These were the players he wanted.
If they waited until the season ended to ask about some of them, it might already be too late.
A team like San Remo didn't have a scouting network of its own. Russell was actually glad Soto was willing to draw up a list.
But when he saw some of the names on it, he was stunned.
"Latuidi? Really? We can ask about a top Serie A midfielder like Latuidi?" Russell was dumbfounded.
"Latuidi's form has fallen off quite quickly this season, and he's already thirty-four. Milan won't offer him a high salary, but he still wants to earn a couple more years of wages," Soto said. "Our wage bill will definitely have to rise next season. Based on Lu Yang and Moric's performances, their salaries will be well above the Serie C average."
"But even all of that together might not come close to Latuidi's annual salary."
Russell thought it over. "I've been prepared for this for a long time. If we want to see a Serie A star playing in Serie C, we have to accept what comes with it. And it won't just be Latuidi. Lu Yang and Moric will get the salaries they deserve, too. They're both outstanding, and their agent, Arthas, won't let them be shortchanged."
"As long as the team keeps improving, whatever we spend will be worth it."
Russell placed emphasis on the word "improving."
"We won't linger in Serie C," Soto said. "If we make it up to Serie C this season, we can take the first half of next season to settle in. In the second half, we'll be unstoppable. But the condition is..."
"The condition is that you get the players you want," Russell said, nodding.
"No. The condition is that we make it to Serie C," Soto said. "Otherwise, I can't persuade Latuidi or Milan's academy players to join a Serie D team."
Two days later, Live Football News broke an inside story.
Serie D club San Remo had made an inquiry about Milan legend Sandri Latuidi!
The entire Serie D and Serie C scene erupted.
"Oh my god! Latuidi! For real?"
"A top defensive midfielder, Milan's midfield enforcer, Latuidi?"
"How could Latuidi play in Serie D? That's an insult to him!"
"Hey, man, San Remo could get promoted to Serie C next season."
"Isn't Serie C still trash?"
"Honestly, Latuidi's form has declined too quickly this season. He can't handle Serie A anymore."
"But even so, there are still Serie A teams willing to sign Latuidi."
"As a substitute? Taking a pay cut? Latuidi won't accept that. He has six kids. Do you know what that means? Six euro-shredding machines!"
"What about Serie B, then? Isn't it better than Serie C?"
"To be fair, if the salaries are similar, the pressure in Serie C is much lower than in Serie B. The competition for promotion in Serie B is nearly as fierce as in Serie A. Latuidi is past the point of chasing publicity. He'd also like to spend more time with his family."
"Don't forget, San Remo's coach is Soto! Back when the Milan Butcher was still playing, Latuidi was his underling's underling—just a minor substitute! Soto has enormous influence over that generation of Milan players."
"San Remo's chairman, Russell, is actually very wealthy. The club just hasn't been good enough to justify a major investment. Now that he's brought in Soto, he's clearly ready to go all out."
"I heard San Remo has also made inquiries about several other Serie A players. There's Bechir Aguilar, Roma's young right winger."
"Aguilar? No way! He might only be a backup right winger this season, but anyone who can play in Serie A at twenty-three is top-class. He'd never leave Serie A. Even if he went out on loan to get experience, it'd be to Serie B, the Portuguese league, Eredivisie, Ligue 1, or Bundesliga!"
"I heard Lazio's backup center-back Anuar Ayala is another one of their targets, but Ayala probably won't leave Lazio either. He'll retire there, won't he?"
For the first time, the transfer market was thrown into turmoil by a little "bee."
No one had expected a Serie C team to dare set its sights on Serie A players.
Especially when it wasn't even certain the team would make it to Serie C.
"San Remo are out of control!"
"Arrogant to the extreme! So what if you have money?"
"You can't even get out of Serie D, and you want Serie A players!"
The fans of Ternana, who had no worries about relegation, were furious.
They'd agreed to be terrible together, but San Remo had secretly gotten rich!
It wounded their pride.
It was the same kind of feeling Moric had when he saw Sophia getting close to Lu Yang.
Round thirty-seven of Serie D saw San Remo play away against Ternana.
Ternana was currently eleventh. It had no hope of promotion and no danger of relegation.
In theory, teams like that were the easiest to play against at this stage.
But San Remo had just lost three regulars in a row: its right winger, right midfielder, and right center-back. Almost an entire flank of its starting lineup was gone.
That left its defense looking extremely shaky.
Meanwhile, all the transfer rumors surrounding the club had affected the players to some degree.
If San Remo got promoted, it would surely improve its squad.
How many of this season's players would still be around next season was now an open question.
This seriously affected San Remo's form.
Five minutes before halftime, the opponents broke through San Remo's right flank.
Their winger charged straight into San Remo's penalty area and chipped a shot.
San Remo's goalkeeper made an excellent save, but the opposing center-forward pounced on the rebound and put it into the net. Against all odds, Ternana had taken the lead!
San Remo's legendary run had collapsed right before the final hurdle.
If they lost this match, San Remo might miss out on direct promotion to Serie C and have to go through the promotion playoffs instead.
One step forward meant a world of opportunity; one step back meant a sheer drop into the abyss.