Rise of a Football God

Fulham fans were not used to seeing Sam play as a striker.

Heck, they've never seen him play for their club as a striker.

When Sam still plied his trade in the English premier league for Fulham FC, he was renowned as an all-action attacking midfielder.

The player who made Marco Silva's team tick.

The link between attack and defense, the driving force of Fulham's attack, the most lethal weapon in Marco Silva's arsenal.

And yet, here he was, lining up against them.

Not as an attacking midfielder, but as a striker.

Weird, but by the end of this game, the Fulham fans would learn to see Sam in a new light and accept just how versatile he was.

FWEEE!

The whistle imperiously cut through the noise around the stadium like a knife.

And then, the game started.

Instantly, Sam took the wheel.

FC Barcelona started kick-off and directly from the first kick of the ball, Sam showed that he didn't return to Craven Cottage to play as bombing straight down the field, Pedri expertly threw a lobbed pass towards him.

"…!"

The fans across the stadium froze in shock.

In just the first minute of this game, the chemistry between the FC Barcelona players reared its head as Pedri and Sam caught the Fulham defense napping.

Pedri played the lobbed pass, and Sam ran into it.

Calvin Bassey reacted, trying to shove Sam aside with his physicality but the Nigerian International quickly got a reality check when Sam stood his ground.

'Damn! He's this powerful…?'

Calvin Bassey realized too late.

Sam didn't just stand his ground against his International teammate, spreading his arms and changing his running stance, he was able to force Calvin Bassey out of balance, making the center back stagger.

That little stagger, removing the pressure from him for a split second, that split second was all the time that Sam needed.

Whoosh!

Pedri's pass flew through the air, the ball drawing a parabular through the air as it dipped in a perfect arc towards his position.

This exact same pass, Pedri had played it for Sam countless times in their personal training sessions.

Pedri knew his speed like the back of his hand, and he had the technique to add just the right weight on the pass.

The ball perfectly floated into Sam's front.

Thud!

Reading the danger and knowing just what kind of threat Sam posed in front of goal, Bernd Leno kicked the ground, erupting in a sprint as he rapidly closed the striker down but Sam kept his cool.

Leno's charge sent adrenaline through his body, urging him to act fast but it did not make him lose his cool, he still had 100% presence of mind.

And so…, Sam didn't try to take a first touch to calm the ball.

Instead, he jumped directly and swung his right leg.

It was a volley!

POW!

Sam's right leg hit the ball with venom, roofing it towards the top left corner of the net with incredible power.

Bernd Leno reacted, sprawling his arms but not quite fast enough.

The power behind Sam's shot was just too much, it snuck past him, and into the net, silencing Craven Cottage.

"GOALLLLL…!!!"

The away fans and the other FC Barcelona players celebrated.

Sam didn't let it get to his head though, raising his arms up instead of celebrating his goal. He refused to celebrate his goal against Fulham even as Lamine Yamal jumped on his back, celebrating.

That goal was the fastest of Sam's whole career.

It was not even a full minute yet before the ball found its way into the net, it was his first goal scored in the 1st minute of a game.

"Well, we wondered what version of Sam will come to Craven Cottage today after what happened yesterday".

"Heck, the boy got honored with his own trophy in this same stadium".

"But I guess even that is not enough to stop Sam".

"Clearly, he came with his scoring boots today".

"The boy is unstoppable!"

"The Fulham legend scores in Craven Cottage, what a game this is turning out to be already!"

"A lightning-fast goal!"

FWEEE!

Sam's goal came in just the first minute, there was still 89 minutes to play, and boy did that goal wake Fulham up!

"Come on!" Emile Smith Rowe roared, doing the work that Sam usually did when he still played for the West London club.

"It's just Sam".

"It's just FC Barcelona".

"Are we scared of them? NO!"

"Come on! Let's play our game, we can win!"

And well, with Smith Rowe's urging, Fulham did just that.

As soon as the referee's whistle sounded again to continue the game, the UEFA champions league clash truly started in Craven Cottage.

It didn't go all FC Barcelona's way.

Under Marco Silva's tactical drilling, this iteration of the Fulham squad played with cohesion and grit, defending doggedly as a team.

And when they did get the ball back, the new core of Fulham dazzled.

Emile Smith Rowe had a playmaking masterclass in the middle of the pitch for the West London club.

Up against the likes of Pedri, Gavi, and Frankie De Jong, world-renowned football stars, Emile Smith Rowe did not fade into obscurity as he showed what he could do at the highest level against the best of the best.

He dictated the game for Fulham, spraying passes left and right, setting his teammates up, a technique which he already practiced to near perfection.

Yes, he didn't have Sam's physicality.

Yes, he didn't have Sam's versatility or his power header, nor even his power shot, but Emile Smith Rowe could create.

Besides, before Sam left Fulham, he managed to inherit something from the Nigerian maverick…, the mamba mentality.

'Win!' 'Win!' 'Win!'

Smith Rowe lacked Sam's style of play, and so he channeled his mamba mentality through his intelligence and elite passing ability.

And after repeatedly knocking at the door, he did it.

Berge won the ball back in midfield before quickly passing it diagonally to Emile Smith Rowe, even as Frankie De Jong quickly pressed him for the ball.

Standing his ground, Smith Rowe evaded a physical duel, rather using a body feint before quickly spinning round with the ball, smoothly evading De Jong's tackle.

The Dutch International didn't give up though, coming again for the ball.

Smith Rowe expected it, and was why he didn't hold on to the ball.

He spotted Adama Traore's unstoppable burst of speed immediately after he was done spinning past De Jong, and then…
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Bam!

With the outside of his boot, Emile Smith Rowe hit the ball on a perfect trivela, sending it spinning through the air like a shot put.

Far higher up the field, having left Cubarsi in the dust with his pace since Alejandro Balde was caught out of position, Adama Traore took the long pass in his strides, pushing it forward as he charged towards goal.

Ronald Araujo approached…

Whoosh!

Just as Adama Traore was to shoot, the Uruguayan went on a sliding tackle but that was where Adama Traore did it, cutting the ball instead of shooting.

That bought him enough time for Araujo to slide to no man's land and then keeping his cool in front of goal, he hit the ball with power.

Bam!

Straight to the bottom right corner.

Marc Andre Ter Stegen stood no chance.

"GOALLLLLL…!!!"

Craven Cottage erupted to life.

Charging towards Adama Traore, Emile Smith Rowe jumped on his back even as they celebrated the goal wildly.

Before the game continued, Smith Rowe looked at Sam, winking at him as he grinned. "Game on!"

Sam grinned back. "Game on!"

He could feel his blood boiling hot. 'Hehe, this…, I'm going to love this!'

Today, who was going to be the King of Craven Cottage?

With Smith Rowe's performance so far, was there a new King in Craven Cottage and did the real King just went on a vacation, and was back?

Was the King back?

Time would tell.

FWEEE!

The game continued, and Sam played his heart out.

Dropping deep and fully embracing his false 9 role this game, he balled for FC Barcelona, connecting with Gavi, Pedri, and Lamine Yamal to devastating effect as they probed Fulham's defense again and again.

Fulham may have equalized in the 22nd minute through a moment of individual brilliance from Smith Rowe, but they were not deterred by it.

Rather, they only played better.

Not willing to roll over in defeat, Fulham matched FC Barcelona's intensity aura for aura, it was an end-to-end game.

Barca attacked, Fulham defended…

Fulham attacked, Barca defended…

It was crazy, intense, exciting, the star players embracing the moment as they showed just what they could do in the biggest stages and biggest moments.

Yamal dazzled with his dribbling, Gavi dazzled with his intensity, Pedri dazzled with his calm composure and playmaking, Alejandro Balde dazzled with his overlapping runs, Raphinha dazzled in attack, Smith Rowe dazzled in playmaking, while Sam did everything.

He was all-action, 10 in 1.

But then, despite all the excitement, despite all the chances created, the first half came to an end with the ball failing to enter the net a 3rd time.

The first half came to an end 1-1.

It was a first half draw.