From 2 goals down, Fulham overca the odds against them and managed to score 2 quick-fire goals, bringing the ga level.
But could they do more?
In the 90th plus 7 minutes, Sam tried.
'Win!' 'Win!' 'Win!'
The mantra already started in his head, ringing like an alarm.
By now, Alex Iwobi was already subbed out of the ga. After winning the ball back in midfield, Palhinha imdiately passed to Sam.
Bam!
Imdiately after taking a touch of the ball, like electricity, adrenaline surged into Sam's body, setting all his electrons into an excited state and imdiately, in a state where instinct and intention beca one to him, Sam moved.
Sam took one touch of this ball and with his spatial awareness, he noticed the Sheffield United player rushing towards him.
With his second touch, he spun like a roulette, ditching the player in red and black as gasps erupted around this stadium.
The second Sheffield United player charged in on a sliding tackle but already in the state of zone, Sam reacted as if in ultra-instinct, pushing the ball with the outside of his boot as he nutgged this player just before he could hit the ground sliding.
Whoosh!
And as his boots slid in, Sam jumped over him.
More gasps erupted over this stadium.
Sam was still deep in the middle of the pitch as he did all this and imdiately after skipping past both challenges, he raised his head just in ti to notice Grbic, the Sheffield United goalkeeper slightly off his lines.
"…!" It was like thunder struck inside his head.
Since making the switch from the NPFL to the premier league, Sam had played multiple gas already but the goalkeepers in England were all elite players, he had never noticed a goalkeeper stray off his lines till today.
There was only one explanation for this oversight, the pressure of this ga finally got to this goalkeeper.
Fulham was not the only one chasing the winning goal.
Sheffield United were also desperate to get the winning goal after letting their 2-goal lead slip, and the pressure and information colliding in the head of this goalkeeper was what caused this oversight.
Sam gave zero f*cks about the cause though, he only cared about the reality before him and imdiately, he pounced.
Raising his right leg even as the veins all over his body stretched taut, Sam swung his leg and hit the ball with venom.
BAM!
Like a rocket, the ball rose as soon as his leg hit it, shooting high into the sky before dipping back down after attaining a certain height.
All the while, Grbic, the Sheffield United goalkeeper who was now panicked charged back desperately to defend his goal.
He would not arrive in ti.
"What a shot from Samuel!"
"Is this the decider? The miracle of Fulham?!"
"And ohhhhh…! Can you believe it? It hits the crossbar!"
The stage was already set for Sam to score a historic goal to drag Fulham FC from the ruins of defeat, creating another clutch mont in his first season for the English club to win another premier league ga.
Everything was set, it was so close, but it was just not ant to be.
As soon as the ball bounced away for a goal kick, the ref's whistle finally sounded, bringing this ga to an end.
Sam collapsed on the pitch imdiately, looking up at the sky as a bitter smile crept up on his face. "So close," he muttered.
"It was so close".
"What a tightly-contested affair!" The excited comntator raved. "What an end to an incredibly exciting ga!"
"I dare say this is the best ga of the whole season!"
"What a ga!"
"What an atmosphere!"
"This is what football fans watch the ga for, gas like this, they're legendary!"
"A thriller, that's what this is called!"
"Damn! What a second half!"
"The first half is basically forgettable at this point. It all seed like this was going to be a boring ga between 2 mid-table teams but what a thriller, a 6-goal second half thriller!"
"I won't forget this ga in a long ti, I doubt anybody who watched it would".
Sam stayed on the ground, panting heavily till one of his teammates ca up to him, offering him a hand.
Sam finally smiled, taking the hand and helping himself up.
It was De Cordova-Reid, the Fulham winger. This player grinned before patting Sam on the back. "We gave our all, that's what matters".
Sam grinned back. "Yeah, that matters".
And with that, they finally made their way to the dressing room.
After the incredible second half thriller, all the players who participated were ntally exhausted even more so than they were physically exhausted.
All they wanted was to rest and sleep to recover.
They had no choice though, one of them still had to face the reporters. Having changed the ga with his goal and assist despite being subbed on late, De Cordova-Reid won the man of the match award for this ga.
This winger approached the dia, answering the questions of the reporters on various topics, a lot of them focusing on Sam.
De Cordova-Reid answered to the best of his ability, trying his best not to say anything controversial and after a few minutes, he was finally free.
After such a grueling ga, all the Fulham players were eager to leave.
They quickly left to their team bus but before entering, they signed a few autographs for the away fans who ca all the way to watch their ga.
After signing autographs and taking a few pictures, they finally made their way to their team bus which took them to the airport.
About an hour later, Sam finally entered his hotel room.
His mom wanted a video call again but Sam was just too exhausted for it. Imdiately after taking his bath and entering his bed, he slept off.
When he woke up, he would call his mom and speak with her.
Sam didn't necessarily achieve his primary goal of winning the ga, but it was still a good ga nonetheless.
And most importantly, he learned a good lesson.
'Never underestimate the competition'.
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