Rise of a Football God

After putting out such a valiant performance already for 70 minutes, to concede in such a manner, all the Fulham players felt deflated.

All their efforts through 70 minutes was for naught.

All of them felt distraught but even in the distraughtness of this situation was when a certain Fulham player's mentality reared its head again.

When Cole Palmer scored the goal, Sam tracked back, pursuing the English midfielder so he had VIP view of the amazing goal.

Having VIP view of the goal did not crack his spirit though.

Instead, it only provoked his competitive spirit even more.

Sam's eyes were wide again, burning with a fiery zeal to win, a determination to give his all, and an acknowledgement that he could not do it alone.

"Come on!" Sam clapped, roaring at his teammates.

"It's not over yet, we can still do it!"

He pointed at his head. "Keep your head in the game, it's just 1 goal difference, trust me, we'll make a comeback and win today!"

Sam was a youngster, just an 18-year-old, the senior players in this Fulham team were not obliged to listen him at all but at this moment, seeing this player talk, the other Fulham players felt his confidence.

It was crazy how even in the worst of situations on the pitch this boy still managed to regain his confidence, it was almost delusional like a mad man.

But who cares? If that was what it took to complete a comeback this game, the Fulham players decided to believe in a mad man.

And when the referee's whistle sounded again, the Fulham players showed that they were not dead. They were far from dead; they were still alive and kicking!

FWEEEE!

Just before the game started though, after successfully getting into the head of his teammates, making them believe in his confidence, Sam did something.

He made use of one of his trump cards.

~----~

[You have accessed ability card: Thread it like KDB!]

[Card Effects:]

>Once used, for 30 minutes, you gain the incredible playmaking skills of the Belgian midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne. You get the vision and the skill to play penetrative defense splitting through passes just like KDB<

…

[You have made use of an ability card: Thread it like KDB!]

~----~

In recent years in football, in metrics for attacking midfielders, there were attacking midfielders with great vision and who had the technique to play defense-splitting passes, and then there was the Belgian maestro, Kevin De Bruyne.

For the past 5 to 6 years, KDB was by far the best assist-giving midfielder in all of Europe, dazzling game after game with his vision and passing technique.

And at this moment, in this game with his team down 1-0, when the stakes were highest, Sam made use of a trump card that no other footballer other than him could make use of.

He channeled KDB!

Cole Palmer scored in the 73rd minute, and as soon as Fulham restarted play, determined to maintain their lead, the Chelsea players did not let Fulham maintain possession as they returned to pound to pound football.

Led by their destroyer, Moises Caicedo, the Chelsea team went physical, fighting for every ball and disrupting any meaningful Fulham play.

For a few minutes, they succeeded, until the 80th minute of this game.

By then, the atmosphere in this stadium already heated up to a crescendo like a burning fire and in that hell, Sam finally thrived.

For the past few minutes, he took advantage of his incredible stamina, pursuing the ball since and then in the 80th minute, he finally won the pound for pound battle, stealing the ball from Moises Caicedo.

Sam had only 2 football skills that were at the intermediate level, his elastico dribble and Cruyff turn.

And at this moment, immediately after he stole the ball, as Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez pressed, determined to get the ball, Sam executed the Cruyff turn, effortlessly evading the challenge from both players.

He won the ball back in midfield, and now, he charged forward with it.

Conor Gallagher quickly charged him down but with a la croqueta, Sam left the English midfielder for dead and that was when his senses tingled.

Since utilizing the ability card and channeling KDB, Sam developed something like a sixth sense to spot passing lanes and at this moment, viewing all his options, he played a pass that would be impossible to 99% of midfielders in the world.

From midfield, he played a raking pass that cut through the Chelsea defense like a hot knife through butter, through all its defenders, before slowing down in a platter of gold for the onrushing Alex Iwobi.

Alex Iwobi simply decided to run blindly, he never expected such a pass but seeing it, the Nigerian International did not miss his moment.

It was literally served on a platter of gold for him.

As Petrovic rushed out, Alex simply stuck out his leg, tapping the ball into the net in the 81st minute of the game.

"GOALLLLL…!" The Fulham fans erupted like evolved Chihuahuas, roaring at the top of their lungs!

Alex Iwobi scrambled back to his feet, pumped a fist to the fans before rushing into the Chelsea net, picking up the ball and running back to the middle of the pitch to quickly restart play.

In the 81st minute, the game was tied again, 1-1.

Game on.

Bam!

Chelsea restarted play and still, they could not reassert their authority as every authority on this pitch was already taken by a mad man, mad Sam.

Dropping deeper than before to stay more on the ball, Sam became an orchestrator, playing passes that split Chelsea open time and time again.

The Chelsea players tried to wrestle for control but once he was gone, he was gone, he was never looking back.

The final 10 minutes of this game was total madness, madness orchestrated by the mad man, mad Sam.

The tension increased, the stakes dangled, alluring the players on both teams and finally, in the 88th minute, the game was decided by the mad man, again.

At some point, Jimenez already entered this game, replacing Muniz.

Receiving the ball just outside the Chelsea 18-yard box, Sam took 2 touches, 1 to control the ball and the other to chip a delicate cross into the box.

Watching the ball float in the air, Petrovic, the Chelsea goalkeeper hesitated.

Should he stand his ground and wait or should he rush out to punch the ball?

That moment of hesitation was all it took as jumping, Raul Jimenez unleashed a diving header reminiscing of Robin Van Persie's iconic goal in the FIFA World Cup many years ago.

The ball went straight into the roof of the net, leaving Petrovic scrambling.

1-2 to Fulham in the 88th minute of this game.

"MAD MAN!" The commentator screamed.

"The Nigerian Zidane has struck again!"

"What a cross! What a touch! What a goal! What a moment!"

"As soon as the ball touched his leg, you knew that something special was about to happen and oh boy did it happen!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"2 assists to Samuel Moses!"

"Back in January, he drowned Liverpool with his powers and tonight, we're witnessing him drown Chelsea with the same powers!"

Charging toward the corner flag, Raul Jimenez slid on his knees in celebration even as the Fulham fans roared in ecstasy.

10 minutes of madness turned this game around.