Chapter 22: Depths of the Machine
September 6, 2017 – Camp Nou, Copa del Rey 1st Round: Barcelona vs. Cultural Leonesa
The lights at Camp Nou burned less brightly tonight.
It wasn't a La Liga fixture. Not a Champions League night.
Just a Copa del Rey first round match against Cultural Leonesa. A game for rotation. For risk. For revelation.
But for Noah Marlowe, it was something else entirely:
"A laboratory."
Pre-Match – Tactical Focus: Layer Testing
Inside the subdued locker room, Noah scribbled on the whiteboard without theatrics.
"Tonight isn't about the scoreboard," he said. "It's about combinations."
He highlighted three names:
Riqui Puig — 70-minute control test
Semedo — isolated overload runner
Pedri — matchday squad, observation only
Then he tapped the screen.
Target Phase: System Rotation Layer 2
Objective: Test wide triangles, inverted runner overlaps, and Puig central tempo control
To Puig:
"You own the middle. But not with flash—with rhythm."
To Semedo:
"You break the block. No hesitation."
To the team:
"You're not replacing stars. You're sharpening the system."
Starting XI vs. Cultural Leonesa
GK: Cillessen
DEF: Semedo – Vermaelen – Lenglet – Miranda
MID: Busquets – Puig – Denis Suárez
FOR: Aleñá – Abel Ruiz – Rafinha
Messi, Suárez, Alba, Mbappé all rested. Pedri on the bench.
Kickoff – First Half
Barcelona played with a different beat.
Less explosive. More mechanical.
Puig settled deep and began dictating the flow—short, clean passes. Nothing spectacular. Everything efficient.
Minute 14 — Denis Suárez played a chipped pass over the top. Aleñá chested it down and scored.
GOAL – Aleñá.
Minute 27 — Semedo broke wide with a sudden burst and found Abel Ruiz in the box.
Header.
GOAL – Abel Ruiz. Assist – Semedo.
Noah watched silently.
He wasn't looking at the scoreboard.
He was watching Puig's footwork. Denis' vertical timing. Semedo's recovery speed.
This wasn't football. It was diagnosis.
Minute 45 – Pedri's Quiet Spark
As the second half approached, Noah signaled to the bench.
"Pedri."
The 15-year-old froze slightly, then stood.
"No substitution," Noah clarified. "You'll warm. And observe. Closely."
He leaned in.
"Count how many times Puig touches the ball. But don't just count—ask why."
Second Half – Controlled Finish
Barcelona continued with rhythm and patience.
Minute 63 — Puig intercepted a poor clearance, found Denis with a disguised pass, and Denis curled it into the bottom corner.
GOAL – Denis Suárez.
Minute 72 — Substitutions came.
No Messi. No Mbappé.
Just patience.
Barcelona saw out the match 3–0.
No drama.
No noise.
But inside Noah's system, the data flowed.
Puig Touches: 82
Press Evasion Rate: 94%
Semedo Offensive Efficiency: +13% from baseline
Denis Suárez Decision Lag: -21%
Pedri Observation Notes: Saved
Post-Match – Noah's Office
Later that night, Noah sat alone with his assistant coach.
"What's your assessment of Pedri?" the assistant asked.
"He doesn't blink," Noah said. "Doesn't rush. He'll debut before winter. Quietly. In shadow."
The assistant raised a brow.
"And the third signing?"
Noah tapped the scouting shortlist:
Pape Matar Sarr (Metz)
Takefusa Kubo (Free Agent Trial)
Rodrygo (Santos – priced out)
"We need a midfield hybrid. Not flashy. Just… cold logic."
Meanwhile – Valdebebas (Real Madrid HQ)
Zidane's squad had just thrashed Levante 4–1.
Isco pulled the strings.
Asensio floated.
Ronaldo scored twice.
Zidane sat with his analyst in a dark room.
"Barcelona hasn't conceded a goal yet," the analyst said.
Zidane leaned forward.
"But how many have they suffered?"
The analyst frowned. "What do you mean?"
Zidane pointed to the screen.
"They've played with rhythm. But we haven't seen them bleed. That's when systems crack."
He circled one name:
"Puig."
"Test him early," Zidane said. "Then we'll know."
Premier League Snapshot – Manchester City
At the Etihad, Pep Guardiola was rebuilding.
Kevin De Bruyne was evolving into a conductor.
Leroy Sané was terrorizing flanks.
Kyle Walker had become a dual-threat fullback.
And still—Pep watched Barcelona footage at night.
"Controlled Chaos," he muttered. "It's not new. But it's… clean."
His assistant asked, "Is he copying you?"
Pep shook his head.
"No. He's responding to me. That's more dangerous."
Paris – Neymar's New Empire
At Parc des Princes, Neymar Jr. had scored in three straight Ligue 1 matches.
He dribbled, celebrated, flipped, smiled.
But in private, he watched Camp Nou highlights.
The fans still chanted Messi's name.
Mbappé was now wearing Barça colors.
And Noah? He never called.
Neymar turned to his agent.
"Do you think I made the right choice?"
His agent said nothing.
Final Scene – Tactical System Summary
Copa del Rey: Barcelona 3 – 0 Cultural Leonesa
Goals: Aleñá, Abel Ruiz, Denis Suárez
Puig Rating: 8.1
Semedo Impact: Confirmed
Pedri Status: Observation Logged
Takefusa Kubo Trial – Scheduled
Next Fixture: La Liga vs. Espanyol (Derby)
System note:
"The machine grows deeper.
Outside eyes turn inward.
Rotation complete.
Ascension phase begins."