At halftime, the setting sun left its last rays in the western sky.
The floodlights at Worth Field were already on, so the fans didn't notice the encroaching darkness. They were still enthusiastically discussing the first half and eagerly anticipating the second half.
Fifteen minutes flew by. Luton's players were the first to appear on the pitch, and a minute later, Manchester City's players finally emerged.
Gao Bo was already seated on the bench, completely unfazed by Manchester City's minor psychological tactics.
When it came down to it, the battle would be decided on the pitch.
"The second half is about to begin! During the halftime break, Manchester City made a substitution. Caicedo has replaced Zabaleta, swapping a defensive midfielder for a striker. Caicedo, a tall center-forward, was signed from Basel in the winter transfer window of the season before the Abu Dhabi consortium acquired Manchester City. Now, in a moment of crisis, Mark Hughes has brought him on as a key move for a final push! Manchester City is clearly strengthening their attack for the second half!" Letkinson announced excitedly from the commentary booth, his voice booming through the microphone.
He had been to this stadium many times before. Though it could only hold 10,000 spectators, the energy from the fans was immense.
"Manchester City is down by two goals, but with 45 minutes left, they still have a chance to equalize or even turn it around! This is going to be Luton's real test!" Redknapp added from the side.
Letkinson nodded in agreement. After all, he couldn't imagine a Premier League side like Manchester City being utterly humiliated by a Second Division team like Luton.
Surely Manchester City would score at least one goal, wouldn't they?
But when the second half began, the match quickly veered far from the commentators' expectations.
Luton suddenly began pressing aggressively in Manchester City's half!
With Zabaleta subbed out, Manchester City was left with only two midfielders: De Jong and Ireland.
Luton's sudden high press caused chaos in Manchester City's midfield. Under pressure from multiple Luton players, Ireland had no choice but to pass the ball back.
However, Luton's relentless pressing forced Kompany into a tight spot. Just as he received the ball, Kevin Keane immediately charged in to pressure him.
Kompany had no choice but to pass back to goalkeeper Shay. Faced with Vardy's ferocious approach, Shay was forced to clear the ball out of bounds.
"Luton has intensified their high press! Manchester City's players are clearly struggling under pressure!" Letkinson exclaimed as he stood from his seat. The Luton fans in the stands erupted in cheers, roaring their approval for the team's performance.
Gao Bo watched calmly, his confidence palpable.
Mark Hughes had planned to ramp up Manchester City's offense in the second half, but Gao Bo had countered by turning up Luton's intensity right from the restart, choking Manchester City before they could even find their rhythm.
Manchester City's players found themselves in an uncomfortable and frustrating position. According to their plan, they should have been dominating Luton, forcing them into their own half, and launching long balls to the towering Caicedo. The strategy was to use Caicedo as a focal point in the attack, with Bellamy and Robinho feeding off his aerial play to create scoring opportunities in the penalty area.
While simple, the tactic leveraged Manchester City's superior individual skills.
But Luton had completely disrupted that plan. Right from the start of the second half, they applied suffocating pressure in Manchester City's half. With five midfielders pressing high, Manchester City couldn't maintain possession.
Mark Hughes looked bewildered on the sidelines, as if his every move was being countered by Gao Bo. He glanced over at the Luton coach, who was casually chatting with his assistants on the bench. Hughes couldn't help but feel helpless in the face of the Chinese coach's tactical mastery. He had warned his players not to underestimate Luton, but deep down, even he had underestimated the Second Division team. Otherwise, he would have done more to prepare, just as Gao Bo had meticulously studied Manchester City.
Manchester City's players were visibly frustrated. They had walked onto the pitch at halftime ready to dominate and teach this small team a lesson, only to find themselves completely disarmed by Luton's relentless pressure.
In the 48th minute, Luton's Hassan Ali intercepted a pass in midfield from Ireland. Driving forward with the ball, he passed to the right edge of the penalty area, where Kevin Keane unleashed a powerful volley!
Gao Bo leapt from his seat, holding his head in disbelief as the shot was miraculously saved by goalkeeper Shay.
Though the chance went begging, Gao Bo immediately applauded his team's effort.
Meanwhile, Mark Hughes looked like he might have a heart attack. Manchester City was completely on the back foot.
"Ohhh! Kevin Keane! So close! His shot from the right side of the box nearly made it 3–0 for Luton!" Letkinson shouted, his voice rising with excitement.
Kevin Keane clapped his hands in frustration before jogging to the corner flag to take the set piece.
Luton's center-backs also ventured into the penalty area. Gao Bo had put considerable emphasis on set-piece drills in training, with Jeoffrey emerging as a key figure due to his exceptional aerial ability.
Before Hughes could recover his composure, another blow struck his team!
"Jeoffrey!!!!!!" Letkinson screamed from his seat.
"3–0!!!!!!!"
The Luton fans erupted into a frenzy, transforming Worth Field into a cauldron of joy.
Gao Bo sprinted out of the dugout, his assistants trailing behind in celebration.
"We've won, haven't we, Gao!?" John, one of his assistants in his fifties, was as ecstatic as a child. He hugged Gao Bo tightly, practically choking him in excitement.
"John, you're strangling me!" Gao Bo protested, breaking free with a laugh.
"Of course we've won!"
With a 3–0 lead, there was no chance of a comeback!
The fans broke into song:
"Ohhhh, we have a coach from China! He's the most handsome of them all! He'll lead us to victory! His name is Gao Bo! Ohhhh, we love him..."
Gao Bo stood on the sidelines, soaking in the electric atmosphere. The sea of waving scarves and the deafening chants made his heart swell with pride.
He loved this job.
On the pitch, the Luton players celebrated wildly, piling onto Jeoffrey, the goal scorer.
This was the goal that sealed the victory!