Football Card System

Sam Parker grinned as the boos rained down from the stands.

He watched Gao Bo calmly walk to the coaching bench, shake hands with Port Vale's head coach, and then sit down.

Sam relished the jeers. Look at that, you bastard. The Luton fans hate you! Damn yellow monkey!

Meanwhile, Jamie Vardy's expression hardened. The boos ignited a fire within him. He stood on the field, his foot resting on the ball, his gaze locked on Port Vale's goal.

These narrow-minded fools have no idea what a brilliant coach Luton has!

Just wait, Vardy thought. Wait until we prove them all wrong.

Vardy's resolve burned stronger than ever.

The booing didn't last long. After all, this was Gao Bo's first match. Influenced by negative media reports, many fans had formed a bad impression of the coach. However, openly booing their manager before the game had even begun was, for many English fans, a step too far.

---

Inside the guard post at Luton's training ground, Maxxis switched on the radio.

"...even before the game started, Luton's new manager Gao Bo was met with boos from the fans..."

"Idiots..." Maxxis muttered.

As a staff member at the training base, Maxxis knew exactly what Gao Bo had done for Luton. The fans, swayed by distorted media reports, had judged him too harshly.

Wasn't this like cutting off Luton's own arm before the game had even begun?

The radio continued, "Luton's starting lineup features only Kevin Keane and George Parker from last season's main squad. The rest are new faces. In goal is Rondo; at right-back is Mitchell Piran. Center-backs George Parker and Jeffrey, who was reportedly released from Chelsea's U18 team, pair up, while Solo Davis starts at left-back. In midfield, captain Kevin Keane is on the right, with Kanté and Drinkwater in the center and Lewis Emanuel on the left. Upfront, the strike duo consists of Jamie Vardy and Charlie Austin."

Maxxis leaned back in his chair, a small smile playing on his lips. He knew the truth. Players like Vardy were leagues ahead of someone like Sam Parker.

The radio host continued, "Gao Bo, the Chinese coach, seems confident in his choices. This season, he's brought in six new players, five of whom are starting today. The sixth, 198cm center forward Matt Schmidt, will begin on the bench. Gao Bo, whose previous experience includes coaching Chelsea's U18 team, has never managed a first-team in professional football. His team is also the youngest in League Two. With such an inexperienced squad, what kind of performance can Luton deliver?"

Our performance will shock you... Maxxis thought, humming the tune of Luton's team song.

---

Across the street, the game was about to begin.

Luton took the kickoff. Jamie Vardy stood over the ball, with Charlie Austin beside him.

Charlie Austin bounced on his feet, stretching his wrists, looking slightly nervous.

"Relax, Charlie," Vardy said. "It's just a bunch of League Two players."

Vardy's defiant streak shone through, but Charlie couldn't shake his nerves. At 19, Austin had never played in such a big game.

"Aren't you nervous, Jamie?" Austin asked.

"Nervous?" Vardy grinned. "Why waste energy on nerves when you've got an opportunity like this? I'm too excited for that!"

The referee blew the whistle. Vardy passed the ball to Austin and immediately darted toward the goal.

Austin sent the ball to Drinkwater in midfield, who glanced at Vardy's run and lofted a pass over Port Vale's defense.

A Port Vale center-back headed the ball clear, but Kanté was already anticipating the rebound. He stepped in and won possession.

Without hesitation, Kanté passed the ball left to Solo Davis, who surged forward. But Davis lost the ball to Port Vale's No. 7 midfielder.

Before the opponent could distribute it, Kanté was back, intercepting the ball once again.

"Kanté!" the radio commentator exclaimed. "Luton's No. 6 has made two crucial steals in under a minute. He looks more than capable of holding his own in League Two!"

Maxxis smirked, humming louder. You haven't seen anything yet.

---

On the field, Gao Bo jumped up from his seat after Kanté's second steal.

This was the perfect chance for a counterattack. Port Vale had pressed forward after their earlier steal, leaving their defense exposed.

Kanté, aware of the opportunity, wasted no time. He sent the ball to Austin, who laid it off for Drinkwater.

Drinkwater's one-touch pass split the defense, finding Vardy in the box. Vardy timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap, controlling the ball with his right foot.

Now, face-to-face with the goalkeeper, Vardy remained ice-cold. He struck with his right foot, curling the ball into the top corner.

The net bulged. The ball was in!

For a moment, the stadium was silent, the crowd still processing what had just happened. But on the Luton bench, chaos erupted in celebration.

Vardy sprinted to the sidelines and threw his arms around Gao Bo, holding him tightly.

This was the man who had brought him into professional football. The man who had made his dream a reality.

By embracing Gao Bo, Vardy sent a clear message: he stood firmly with his coach.

The cheers in the stands grew louder, and the fans who had booed earlier seemed to forget their resentment.

After all, their team was in the lead!