Liga 1 Standings (After 29 matches - April 2017):
CFR Cluj - 68 points (GD: +31)
FCSB - 68 points (GD: +28)
Universitatea Craiova - 57 points
Astra Giurgiu - 55 points
Dinamo București - 52 points
Nine matches remained. The title would be decided by who blinked first.
The news of Andrei turning down Inter Milan had spread through Romanian football like wildfire. Teammates treated him differently now—some with admiration, others with skepticism. The pressure had fundamentally shifted.
"You're the face of the team now," Florinel Coman told him during training. "Whether you wanted it or not."
It was true. The media had latched onto the narrative: the humble kid from Iași who chose loyalty over money. Every match was now analyzed through that lens. Every performance judged against impossible standards.
Current Status:
Overall Rating: 72.0/99
Media Attention: Very High
Pressure Level: Extreme
Mental Attributes under scrutiny
The next match was away to Astra Giurgiu—a technically skilled team managed by Marius Șumudică, known for tactical discipline. They played at the Marin Anastasovici Stadium, a difficult venue where FCSB had historically struggled.
Astra Giurgiu vs FCSB - Liga 1
Marin Anastasovici Stadium, Giurgiu
April 8th, 2017
Astra Starting XI (4-2-3-1):
GK: Silviu Lung Jr.
DEF (RB): Geraldo Alves
CB: Júnior Maranhão
CB: Fabricio
DEF (LB): David Martins
CDM: Takayuki Seto
CDM: Filipe Teixeira
RW: William Amorim
CAM: Florin Lovin
LW: Fernando Boldrin
ST: Claudiu Keșerü
Keșerü was particularly dangerous—a Romanian international striker who'd scored 15 goals already this season. The Brazilian trio of Geraldo Alves, Fabricio, and Boldrin brought technical quality.
FCSB Starting XI (4-2-3-1):
GK: Andrei Vlad
DEF (RB): Romario Benzar
CB: Marko Momčilović
CB: Ionuț Panțîru
DEF (LB): Risto Radunović
CDM: Mihai Pintilii (C)
CDM: Filipe Teixeira
RW: Florinel Coman
CAM: Constantin Budescu
LW/CAM: Andrei Luca
ST: Denis Alibec
The match started poorly. Astra pressed aggressively, disrupting FCSB's rhythm. The Japanese midfielder Takayuki Seto controlled the tempo with intelligent positioning, while Boldrin's creativity caused constant problems.
In the 18th minute, disaster struck. A long ball over the top caught FCSB's defense flat. Keșerü timed his run perfectly, beating the offside trap and slotting past Vlad.
1-0 Astra.
The home crowd erupted. FCSB looked rattled.
Andrei tried to impose himself, dropping deep to collect the ball, but Astra's pressing was suffocating. Every touch felt heavy, every pass intercepted or pressured.
Performance Analysis:
Pass completion: 68% (below standard)
Dribbles attempted: 5 | Completed: 1
Pressure affecting decision-making
At halftime, trailing 1-0, Reghecampf was blunt.
"We're playing scared. Like the pressure is too much." He looked directly at Andrei. "Especially you. Stop thinking about expectations. Just play football."
Easier said than done.
The second half began with FCSB pushing forward desperately. In the 58th minute, they equalized—Budescu's free kick deflected off the wall and wrong-footed Lung. 1-1.
But Astra responded immediately. In the 63rd minute, a quick counter saw Boldrin slip through Keșerü again. 2-1 Astra.
FCSB was staring at a crucial defeat. Cluj was playing later—if they won and FCSB lost, the gap would be three points with eight to play.
In the 79th minute, Reghecampf made a change—bringing on the young winger Dennis Man for the exhausted Coman. Fresh legs, new energy.
The substitution shifted momentum. Man's pace stretched Astra's tired defense. In the 84th minute, he drove at his fullback and won a corner.
Budescu took it, whipping it toward the near post. Momčilović flicked it on, and there—at the back post, exactly where he needed to be—was Andrei Luca.
The ball came quickly, bouncing awkwardly. Andrei didn't have time to set himself. He just reacted, striking it on the half-volley with his weaker left foot.
The ball flew through a crowd of bodies and into the bottom corner.
GOAL. 2-2.
Andrei didn't celebrate wildly. Just clenched his fist, relief flooding through him. The pressure had been building—this goal released some of it.
Goal scored
Weak Foot: +0.2 (scored with non-dominant foot)
Composure: +0.1 (delivered under extreme pressure)
Positioning: +0.1 (correct position at crucial moment)
Final whistle: 2-2. A point salvaged, but two dropped.
Later that evening, Cluj beat FC Botoșani 1-0.
Updated Liga 1 Standings:
CFR Cluj - 71 points
FCSB - 69 points
Universitatea Craiova - 60 points
Two points behind with eight matches left. The title was slipping away.
In the dressing room, silence reigned. The players knew they'd let an opportunity slip.
"We're still in this," Pintilii said firmly. "Cluj has to come to Bucharest in three weeks. Win that, and we're level."
But everyone felt the pressure mounting.
That night, Andrei lay in bed unable to sleep. His phone buzzed constantly—social media notifications, messages from fans, journalists requesting interviews. He'd turned down Inter Milan to stay and win the title. What if they didn't win? What if he'd made the wrong choice?
Mental State: Fragile
Confidence: Wavering
Pressure: Maximum
At 1 AM, his phone rang. Elena.
"Can't sleep either?" she asked.
"How did you know?"
"Because I know you. You're overthinking everything."
"I cost us two points today. My passing was terrible in the first half—"
"And you scored in the second half to salvage a point. Stop focusing only on the negative."
"But—"
"Andrei, listen to me. You're eighteen years old playing professional football at the highest level in Romania. You've had an incredible season. One draw doesn't erase that."
"What if we don't win the title?"
"Then you don't win it. And you try again next season. That's how life works."
"Easy for you to say."
"It's not easy at all," Elena's voice was fierce. "I watch you torture yourself over every mistake, every imperfect performance. It breaks my heart. You're allowed to be human, Andrei. You're allowed to have bad games."
He was quiet for a long moment. "I miss you. Can I come over?"
"I'll leave the door unlocked."
Twenty minutes later, he was in her bed, her arms around him, finally able to breathe.
They made love slowly, tenderly, and afterward Andrei felt something he hadn't in weeks: peace.
"Thank you," he whispered into the darkness.
"For what?"
"For reminding me why I do this. For keeping me sane."
"That's what love is," Elena said simply. "Keeping each other sane in an insane world."
Relationship Status: Deepening
Mental State: Improved
Emotional Support: Critical