济科：勒夫能带领德国队捧杯
So here we are: Germany and Argentina, two traditional football nations, will decide the 2014 World Cup and no one can say they don’t deserve to be within one game of the trophy.
好了，一切尘埃落定，两个传统足球强国德国和阿根廷将会师决赛。对此没有人质疑这两支球队在决赛中问鼎冠军的实力。
While demonstrating different profiles and styles, both negotiated passage through one of the most competitive tournaments in history and we are in for a very special game at the Maracanã. I have the feeling it will be more like chess than the festival of sprints we have seen throughout this World Cup but it should still be memorable.
虽然两队展现出迥异的风格和特点，但他们从世界杯历史上竞争最激烈的一届中脱颖而出，而我们将在马拉卡纳见证这一场特殊的较量。在我看来，与其说这届世界杯是速度的盛宴，还不如说更像在对弈，但它依旧会是永载史册。
Just don’t expect a goal festival like Germany v Brazil. In fact, the drubbing delivered to the hosts by Thomas Müller and co was one of the main reasons the second semi-final was such an anticlimax in comparison. Argentina and Holland both entered the game with a risk-averse plan and played pretty tight. Argentina knew they needed to sort out their defence after multiple scares in the group stages but they finally did with the arrival of Martín Demichelis who, alongside Ezequiel Garay, formed a very reliable centre-back pair.
不要指望能看到德国对阵巴西时的进球大战。事实上，正是托马斯·穆勒（Thomas Muller）和队友共同导演对东道主的大比分胜利造成了第二场半决赛的平淡无奇。阿根廷和荷兰均采取保守的战术，踢得很谨慎。阿根廷意识到必须解决防线问题，在小组赛他们就因此吃尽苦头，但最终阿根廷派出了德米凯利斯（Martin Demichelis）和加雷（Ezequiel Garay）的中卫搭档，形成了一对非常可靠的防线。
On the Dutch side Louis van Gaal adopted the same strategy and that helped bring about a stalemate. Neither team gave the other space and, while Holland managed to keep Lionel Messi quiet, the Argentinians neutralised Arjen Robben.
反观荷兰队，范加尔采用了相同的策略，因此两队僵持不下。两队都不给对手任何空间，当荷兰队成功限制住梅西，阿根廷人也让罗本哑火。
There were few opportunities and it looked clear the game was heading towards penalties, which is why I was a bit baffled by Van Gaal’s decision not to use Tim Krul. He could and should have saved a sub, because the success of the move against Costa Rica also created a problem for the Dutch manager: poor Jasper Cillessen found himself under enormous pressure after being “snubbed” in the previous shootout. That gave Argentina confidence.
两队均没有什么机会，明显要将比赛拖入点球大战，这也是我为何感到疑惑：范加尔为何没有换上克鲁尔。他可以，也应该保留一个换人名额给克鲁尔，因为荷兰战胜哥斯达黎加的比赛，还给范加尔带来一个新的问题，那就是可怜的希勒森（Jasper Cillessen）在点球大战中被“冷落”之后，感受到了巨大的压力，这也给了阿根廷队信心。
The teams that will face each other on Sunday are very different. Germany are certainly more complete, more well-adjusted and have more alternatives to deal with varied match situations. But Argentina have got Messi and I won’t buy the criticism of him. Messi has been fundamental for Argentina in this tournament and even when he doesn’t play that well he still keeps the opposition fretting. Germany as a team are formidable and the way you see players exchanging passes and switching positions is amazing. But they do not have a player like Messi. Even Müller is not that guy.
7月13日的比赛对两队来说都各不相同。德国队显然更加完整，状态调整得更好，且板凳深度足以应对比赛中的各种状况。但阿根廷有梅西，而我对所有对他的批评都不认同。本届杯赛上，梅西是阿根廷队的核心，即使他并不在最佳状态，但依旧让对手闻风丧胆。作为一支整体，德国队是一只很难对付的队伍，球员之间的传切配合、交叉换位让人惊叹。但他们没有梅西这种水平的球员。甚至穆勒也达不到这个高度。
I believe Argentina will take the lessons of Brazil’s debacle and, instead of trying macho shenanigans, will play with as many men behind the ball as they can while hoping Messi can make the difference with one stroke. They cannot make the same mistake Brazil made in Belo Horizonte because Joachim Löw’s team will punish them just as badly as they did Big Phil Scolari’s boys. In this sense I have to pay compliment to Alejandro Sabella. He has shown the humility to change his mind when plan A didn’t work.
我相信阿根廷一定会从巴西的溃败中吸取教训，不会尝试鲁莽的进攻，而会派大量球员退缩防守，并指望梅西的致命一击改变比赛。阿根廷决不能重蹈巴西队覆辙，否则勒夫的球队会像在贝洛奥里藏特（Belo Horizonte）教训巴西队一样教训阿根廷队。在这方面，我不得不赞扬一下萨维利亚。这位阿根廷主帅展现出他的谦逊，在A计划未能奏效时，萨维利亚就会改变战术。
His 3-5-2 against Bosnia merely showed how detrimental to Messi it was and Sabella switched to a more appropriate formation to allow his best player to flourish. It is true that they now play in a kind of 4-4-2 with that midfield anchored by the great Javier Mascherano but they sorted what looked a very fragile defensive system and can now afford to hang in there and wait for Messi to pounce. Much as people in Buenos Aires will find it outrageous, this Argentina team remind me of Brazil in 1994, when they kept it tight at the back and allowed Romario to cut loose up front. But they are not a team that will suffocate Germany.
在对阵波黑的比赛中，阿根廷的3-5-2战术极大抑制了梅西的发挥，萨维利亚随即做出调整，采用更恰当的阵型让梅西自由闪光。的确，阿根廷现在采用类似 4-4-2阵型，由马斯切拉诺（Javier Mascherano）掌控中场，但他们的防守体系看起来仍旧非常薄弱，只能苦苦支撑，等待梅西的致命一击。在布宜诺斯艾利斯，很多人惊奇地发现，这支阿根廷队让他们想起了1994年的巴西队，那时巴西人同样在后场保持密集防守，任由罗马里奥在锋线大杀四方。不过，阿根廷队整体上会难以抑制德国队。
This will be a very tactical game. Löw already knows he won’t have the acres of space and the all-round naivety he found against Brazil. And he will have to find a way to keep Messi quiet.
这将是一场战术水平极高的比赛。勒夫知道，对手不会像天真的巴西队那样全面压上进攻，因此德国队不会再获得很大的空间。此外，他必须找到限制梅西的方法。
I am very impressed with the Germany manager’s work. He was lucky to avoid more damage against Algeria and in a way Shkodran Mustafi’s injury helped him get his team right. Philipp Lahm had to move from midfield to the full-back position and Sami Khedira’s arrival was the hey-presto moment.
我对德国队主教练的工作印象深刻。勒夫幸运地避免了在对阿尔及利亚的比赛中遭受更大的损失，而穆斯塔非（Shkodran Mustafi）的受伤在某种程度上让球队重回正轨。拉姆（Philipp Lahm）确实该从中场回到后卫，赫迪拉（Sami Khedira）又奇迹般地伤愈复出。
I understand why Löw persisted with Lahm in midfield. He plays in that position for his club thanks to Pep Guardiola and, although he is a very good player, he is neither tall nor getting younger. Löw also wanted to devise a formation in which he could use four defenders to compensate for his very mobile midfield.
我理解勒夫为何坚持让拉姆出任后腰。因为瓜迪奥拉（Pep Guardiola）的安排，拉姆在俱乐部就打这个位置，即便他身材并不高大，也不再年轻，但确实是一个好球员。勒夫也想设计一个阵型，用四名防守球员换取一位跑动灵活的中场。
But I won’t diminish what they did in Belo Horizonte. When a team is on a roll they take their chances. Had Germany not been playing well I doubt they would have put seven goals past Brazil, no matter how fragile the Seleção were on that evening. They hammered Brazil only because they did their homework, seizing upon Marcelo’s advances and David Luiz’s lack of tactical discipline. They toyed with us and you could see how organised Löw got his boys.
不过，我不会贬低德国队大胜巴西的所作所为。一支球队在比赛中就应当抓住机会进球。无论桑巴军团当晚的防守多么不堪一击，假如德国队踢得不好，我想他们也难以打进七个球。德国队大胜巴西，只因为做了自己准备充分，抓住马塞洛（Marcelo）身后的空当，利用了大卫·鲁伊斯（David Luiz）战术纪律的淡薄。德国队将我们玩弄于股掌之间，你能看出勒夫将这些小伙子组织得多好。
I put Germany’s chances of lifting a fourth World Cup at around 70%. But Messi can swing the momentum.
我认为德国队夺得第四冠的几率有70%。但梅西能撼动这个势头。
I find it silly that many Brazilians are horrified that Argentina made it to the final. It would honour the Maracanã to have a player like Messi crowned there. But I am Brazilian, so don’t expect me to cheer for him, OK? Besides, Germany’s second kit has the same colours as Flamengo, the Brazilian club that made me famous…
很多巴西人唯恐阿根廷夺冠，我认为这很愚蠢。见证梅西这样的球员加冕是马拉卡纳球场的荣幸。但我是巴西人，所以别指望我会支持他，好吗？另外，德国的客场球衣的配色和弗拉门戈是一样的，那正是我成名的地方…
