The first half came to an end 1-1.
It was a first half draw.
But the second half was another case entirely.
If the first half was like the prelude, the preparation to a nuclear disaster, well, in the second half, the nuclear bomb exploded in a crazy supernova.
Hansi Flick and Marco Silva didn’t even need to say any words to their players during halftime. Seeing the look in their eyes was all the 2 coaches needed, they could tell that their players were locked into the game.
Both teams were determined to win.
This was a test of wit and will, which would prevail?
FWEEE!
The referee’s whistle sounded again, continuing the duel in Craven Cottage.
A clash of international borders, a clash of Spanish culture and English football, a clash of Samuel Moses and Emile Smith Rowe.
It was intense, end to end, exciting, but the best always find a way.
The best this time was… Smith Rowe.
In the 57th minute of this game, the Englishman exploded to life again to devastating effect for Fulham FC.
After breaking another FC Barcelona attack, Calvin Bassey played the ball long to Adama Traore, a portion of the pitch where Pedri also stayed. Stay updated through freewebnovel
Pedri pursued after the ball, but this foot race was destined from the beginning to have only one conclusion.
Whoosh!
Adama Traore dashed past the Spaniard like Barry Allen, taking the ball in his strides, eating yards of space before cutting the ball back to Emile Smith Rowe close to the Barcelona 18-yard box.
As soon as Smith Rowe received the ball…
BZZZ!
His brain geared into overdrive, and then magic happened.
A sliding tackle from Frankie De Jong came but with a delicate flick of the ball, Smith Rowe smoothly evaded the challenge, coming up against Ronald Araujo next but he didn’t dribble.
Bam!
He hit the ball once, passing to Alex Iwobi who was at the left.
As soon as the ball was hit…
Bam!
Alex Iwobi hit it back.
One-two…, tiki-taka against the Kings of tiki-taka.
"…!"
Craven Cottage came alive.
Emile Smith Rowe intended to give the Catalans a taste of their own medicine. It was crazy, but you know the craziest thing?
It worked!
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
4 swift passes did it.
The pass to Alex Iwobi, the return pass to Smith Rowe, the progressive pass to Raul Jimenez in the box, and the last pass, Jimenez laying the ball for Smith Rowe.
4 passes, but those 4 passes pried Barcelona’s defense open, tearing it imperiously like a hot knife through butter.
"Block him!" Araujo screamed but it was too late.
It was not a shot, not any fancy technique, Smith Rowe simply passed the ball towards the bottom right corner, leaving Ter Stegen frozen in one spot.
The goalkeeper did not see that coming.
"GOALLLLLLL…!"
Craven Cottage transformed into a cauldron of noise.
Ecstatic Fulham fans went haywire, celebrating at the top of their lungs as Emile Smith Rowe charged towards the corner flag, sliding on his knees in celebration before the stadium.
"Smith!" "Smith!" "Smith!"
They chanted his name loudly.
"Well, well, they asked who the King of Craven Cottage was and I guess we have our answer".
"Emile Smith Rowe is the true King of Craven Cottage!"
Well, those words were said a few dozen minutes too soon.
This was because after all the celebrations, Fulham seemingly having completed their comeback in their home ground, a familiar face did them in, completing a masterclass performance in Craven Cottage.
’That goal…!’ Sam’s eyes glistened with excitement as Smith Rowe’s goal replayed in his head. ’Damn! He’s better than the last time I played here!’
Compared to last season, Smith Rowe was a better footballer now.
But Sam didn’t feel bitter, he felt happy, ecstatic even, and that became the catalyst that pushed him into the flow state.
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’How can I play bad when my friend is playing so good?’
’Hehe, I’d be a bad friend if it ends like this’.
’Afterall, what are friends for?’
Just like that, Sam was unleashed.
BOOM!
Like a hurricane, he struck.
Fulham only got to celebrate their lead for a measly 3 minutes, this was because in the 60th minute of this game, Sam unlocked another lever.
In Craven Cottage, they were not used to striker Sam.
Rather, they were used to an all-action midfielder Sam who could do everything, press, tackle, create, and shoot. They were used to the Sam that unleashed absolute piledrivers from beyond the 18-yard box.
Well, Fulham fans saw that Sam in Craven Cottage again.
In the 60th minute of this game, spotting Sam who embraced his false 9 role again, dropping deep outside the 18-yard box to derail the Fulham defenders, Pau Cubarsi took the gamble and played a swift ground pass to Sam.
Sam received and controlled the ball by using a Cruyff turn.
With that simple move, he evaded his marker, Berge, leaving the midfielder eating dust even as the Fulham defense responded to his movement.
Anytime that he had the ball, they retreated on tenterhooks.
This time though, Sam had no intention of running into the 18-yard box with the ball. He was ok right where he was.
He raised his head and looked at Bernd Leno’s position, then the post.
Standing in between the posts, Bernd Leno’s eyes widened.
"…!"
He recognized that look, he’s seen it countless times in training when Sam still played for Fulham and trained with him daily in Craven Cottage.
"Close him down!" The goalkeeper roared but it was already too late.
Sam grinned. ’Just about right’.
And then…
POW!
His right leg swung, unleashing an absolute thunderbolt as he used his knuckle shot technique for the 2nd consecutive game.
The ball rose like a missile, going high into the sky before dipping down as if redirected by an auto-controller, dipping into the goalpost.
Despite the fact that it looked like the ball was going outside from the beginning, Bernd Leno did not take the risk of standing still.
This was because he knew the threat that Sam could pose with a ball at his feet. He jumped, which was the right decision.
Leno’s hand touched the ball, then…
Bang!
Bernd Leno managed to push the ball against the post, making it rebound back into the net as a scramble started immediately.
After a scramble, Antonee Robinson managed to clear the ball awkwardly though it was still inside the 18-yard box.
The players scrambled…, who would get there first?
Thud! Thud!
Hearing those footsteps, the Fulham players felt their heartbeat accelerate; they raised their heads to look.
Sam who took the initial shot was already back!
"…!"
Craven Cottage froze still, watching Sam as he raised his right leg and swung it in mid-air at the ball, unleashing another volley, this time a scissor kick.
Bam!
This time, Bernd Leno did not see the ball.
It whooshed past him at a crazy speed, nestling into his net before he could react as the goalkeeper cursed.
GOAL!
FC Barcelona scored again!
It was 2-2.
And again, Sam did not celebrate.
After that equalizing goal, for over a dozen minutes, the game became tight and end-to-end again until he proved the decider once again.
This time, it was Lamine Yamal who threw in a cross for him from the right as Sam dug in, floating into the sky like superman.
He rose above every other player in the 18-yard box before powering a header towards the top right corner.
Leno could only watch it go in, gritting his teeth.
’This bastard!’ He thought.
’Man…, what a pain to play against him!’
Sam got his hattrick, giving Barcelona the lead again in this exciting game and for the third time, he refused to celebrate.
"My God! I spoke too soon!" The commentator laughed.
"Guys, ignore my previous words, the King of Craven Cottage is still Sam!"
"What the hell am I seeing?"
"0-1 to 2-1, then to 2-3 now, what a game!"
"Smith Rowe is amazing this game, but Sam is freaking unplayable!"
And yet, that was not all.
Sam got his hattrick and gave his team the lead again in the 72nd minute of this game, and then in the 83rd, FC Barcelona added the final nail to complete Fulham’s coffin in this game.
This time, it was an electric Alejandro Balde who did it.
After stopping another round of rampant Fulham attacks, Barcelona exploded, going on the counter and Alejandro Balde was at the heart of it.
Starting all the way from Barca’s half of the field, he evaded a challenge, and then another before kicking the ball long and exploding after it with speed.
The Spaniard literally left afterimages behind as he ran!
No one could catch him and when he finally met Fulham’s imperious last man in defense, Calvin Bassey, he took the easier route, passing to Sam who ran after him all the way from defense.
Sam took one touch to control the ball before slipping it past Calvin Bassey and back towards Balde.
Balde didn’t hesitate, hitting the ball with the outside of his right boot as he sent it towards the bottom right corner.
Bernd Leno was beaten in his post for the 4th time this game.
GOAL!
2-4!
"What a goal!"
"What a game!"
"And that’s a hattrick and an assist, Sam is unplayable!"
FC Barcelona won the game, and Sam won another man of the match award.
The King of Craven Cottage was back, and he was Samuel Moses.