Obed Vargas made one thing clear despite Atletico Madrid's loss to Rayo

Atletico Madrid fell 3-0 to Rayo Vallecano at Vallecas Stadium in Matchday 24 of La Liga, just three days after routing Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. Obed Vargas' team failed to transfer its Copa form to the league and took a direct hit in the standings, where it remains fourth with 45 points.

Vargas, 20, entered the field in the 56th minute, when the score already reflected a deficit. The Alaska-born midfielder played 34 minutes in the center of the pitch, completed 13-of-16 passes, recording 25 touches, one progressive carry, three duels won and four recoveries. It was his third appearance since joining the club and his heaviest workload to date.

Head coach Diego Simeone made nine changes to the lineup that faced Barcelona, prioritizing the distribution of minutes in a week that also includes a Champions League match. The rotation altered structures and automatisms. Atletico had long possessions but lacked depth or sustained pressure after losing the ball, which allowed Rayo to exploit transitions and wide duels.

The first goal came in the 40th minute, when Fran Perez appeared at the far post to finish a play initiated from the right. Atletico conceded space in transition and did not adjust marks in the area. Five minutes later, Oscar Valentin extended the lead after a second action inside the box, consolidating a first half in which the team failed to balance the match.

In the second half, the introduction of Vargas and other regular starters sought to change the dynamic. The Mexican positioned himself as an interior midfielder, but the team could not establish continuity in the opponent's half. Attacks were sporadic and Rayo maintained defensive order with compact lines.

The third goal came in the 86th minute, when Nobel Mendy sealed the final 3-0 score. The action again exposed fragility in marking inside the area. Atletico accumulated its fifth league loss of the season and missed the opportunity to overtake Villarreal, with which it shares 45 points.

Obed Vargas provides a bright spot in Atletico's difficult night

Despite the defeat, Vargas made a clear statement by being one of the few players who performed decently on a night when virtually the entire midfield failed to meet the required standard.

The MLS product has played very little (54 minutes in two league matches) and evidently has not been able to show what he is capable of. Generally, players arriving in Europe for the first time take half a season or a full season to fully adapt, and that appears to be the case with Vargas.

In any case, the former Seattle Sounders player, at least on Sunday, performed well. He injected energy and did not make mistakes, omething not every Atletico player can claim. There is still a long way to go to see the best version of Vargas in Spain, but if Simeone continues to trust him as he has, he will surely end up convincing both him and the fans.