World Gaming Magazine

18 WGM #59 2018/06 wgm8.com 巴塞罗那巨星梅西已经囊获几乎所有荣誉，但和其伟大对手 C罗一样，仍然无缘大力神杯。尽管梅西毋庸置疑是有史以来最 伟大的球员之一，但征服世界杯将令他走出马拉多纳的影子，走 向阿根廷足球神坛。 四年前在巴西，他带领球队一路杀入决赛对阵德国，但最终 0比1心碎落败。这就提出了另外一点——尽管1986年阿根廷能够 战胜全场紧逼的德国问鼎世界杯，但这支阿根廷还没能证明，梅 西没有火力全开时，球队依然能够所向披靡。 人才似乎不是问题，阵中有哈维尔•马斯切拉诺、迪马利 亚、保罗•迪巴拉、塞尔吉奥•阿圭罗、冈萨洛•伊瓜因和埃韦尔• 巴内加等。但事实是，阿根廷若想登上最高领奖台，需要克服对 梅西的依赖。 主教练桑保利是解决这一难题的关键。如果他能找到解决办 法，阿根廷足以击败任何对手。 主教练： 豪尔赫•桑保利 队长： 里奥•梅西 国际足联排名： 5 夺冠赔率： $10.00 世界杯参赛次数： 16 世界杯冠军次数： 2（1978、1986） 本届世界杯很可能是当前这支克罗地亚队的最后一届。大多 数球员接近或在30岁以上，这将是见证卢卡•莫德里奇、德扬•洛 夫伦、伊万•拉基蒂奇、马特奥•科瓦西奇、马里奥•曼祖基奇和 伊万•佩里西奇组合的最后机会。 尽管克罗地亚并非冠军热门，但毫无疑问，他们是真正具备 黑马潜质的球队之一。阵中球员大多在各自的欧洲豪门俱乐部占 据关键位置，他们的技战术至关重要。 这些年来克罗地亚不乏超级球星，但始终缺少拼图中的最后 一块。这就是为什么自1998年在法国杀入半决赛以来，他们未能 制造真正的威胁。 自去年10月担任球队主帅的达里奇能否找到拼图中缺失的那 一块？ 主教练： 兹拉特科•达里奇 队长： 卢卡•莫德里奇 国际足联排名： 18 夺冠赔率： $34.00 世界杯参赛次数： 4 世界杯最好成绩： 半决赛（1998） Barcelona star Lionel Messi has achieved just about every honor there is, but just like his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo, World Cup glory continues to elude him. And while Messi’s standing as one of the greatest of all time is beyond doubt, conquering the World Cup will allow him to step out of countryman Diego Maradona’s shadow and claim the throne for himself. In Brazil four years ago he took the team all the way to the final against Germany, but fell just short of the ultimate prize in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss. Which raises another point – while the World Cup-winning Argentinian side of 1986 was able to overcome the tight marking Germany applied to eke out a victory, this squad has yet to prove its mettle without Messi firing on all cylinders. Talent doesn’t appear to be a problem, with the likes of Javier Mascherano, Ángel Di María, Paulo Dybala, Sergio Agüero, Gonzalo Higuaín and Éver Banega, but the truth is Argentina needs to overcome its dependence on Messi if Messi is to become a World Cup champion. Coach Jorge Sampaoli is key to solving the puzzle – if he finds the solution, Argentina has enough talent to defeat any rival. Coach: Jorge Sampaoli Captain: Lionel Messi FIFA Ranking: 5 Odds: $10.00 World Cup appearances: 16 World Cup titles: 2 – 1978, 1986 This World Cup will probably be the last for this current generation of Croatia’s national team. With the majority either nearing or north of 30, this will be the final chance to witness the combined quality of Luka Modrić, Dejan Lovren, Ivan Rakitić, Mateo Kovačić, Mario Mandžukić and Ivan Perišić. Croatia hasn’t been mentioned among the tournament favorites but there is no doubt they loom as one of the genuine dark horses. Most of the squad occupy key positions in their big-name European clubs and their tactical and technical skills provide a crucial structure. Croatia has enjoyed its fair share of superstar players over the years but has always lacked the final piece in the puzzle, which is why they have failed to truly challenge in the years since reaching the semi-finals in France in 1998. Can coach Zlatko Dalic, who took over the top job in October, find the missing piece? C o ach: Zlatko Dalic Captain: Luka Modrić FIFA Ranking: 18 Odds: $34.00 World Cup appearances: 4 Best World Cup performance: Semi-finals – 1998 克罗地亚 Croatia 阿根廷 Argentina 世界杯特刊 World Cup Special