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Direct football. No obsession with possession. More long passes. Little tiki-taka. 這支球隊(duì)打法直接，不求控球權(quán)，擅踢長傳球，不玩tiki-taka。 Counterattack, rather than painstaking buildup. 他們堅(jiān)持防守反擊戰(zhàn)術(shù)，而非埋頭苦打。 They have thrived, taking one week at time, with all the wrong formulas of football. O let’s call the game football for a change, shall we? 他們崛起了，只剩一周時(shí)間，而他們打法更是出人意料，有違常理。讓我們把視角轉(zhuǎn)向球隊(duì)吧。 They have played more long passes that almost all teams in Europe, 6.9 percent, to be precise, against 1.1 to 1.6 percent by other European league leaders Bayern Munich, Paris St German, Barcelona and Juventus. 萊斯特城更多地是長傳球，比例為6.9%，居歐洲聯(lián)賽第一。確切地說，相比歐洲其他頂尖球隊(duì)，如拜仁慕尼黑、巴黎圣日耳曼、巴塞羅那、尤文圖斯等的1.1%到1.6%。 Possession, too, has not been their forte. Just 45.5 percent on average, third-lowest in the English Premier League. Only Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion have averaged less. 掌握控球權(quán)并非萊斯特城的專長，平均控球率僅為45.5%，在整個(gè)英超里倒數(shù)第三。僅有桑德蘭和西布羅姆維奇位列其后。 The other teams, those that until a couple of months ago were their title rivals, have sworn by possession. Arsenal lead the field with about 56 percent possession, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur follow close behind with 55.2, 55.1 and 54.7 percent. Yet only Arsenal managed to beat them both times they met. 幾個(gè)月前仍是奪冠對手的球隊(duì)的控球率都很高。阿森納以56%位居榜首，曼城、曼聯(lián)和熱刺分別以55.2%、55.1%和54.7%緊隨其后。然而，僅有阿森納在與這些球隊(duì)的主客場對賽中獲勝（阿森納在客場輸給了曼聯(lián)，譯注）。 Accuracy of their passes, too, has been the third-lowest in the EPL. 萊斯特城的丟球率也位居英超倒數(shù)第三。 Almost all their rivals have deep pockets. The top ones have spent as much on one player as they have on the entire team. 幾乎所有的爭冠對手都擁有雄厚的資金。最富的球隊(duì)付給一個(gè)球員的工資抵得上萊斯特城整個(gè)球隊(duì)的開支了。 They have played fewer players in the staring lineups than most other teams. Rotation has not been their winning mantra. Perhaps their coach, once mocked as the “tinkerman”, has tinkered the least with his team and played the least number of players in the starting lineups because he doesn’t have a deep reserve. Perhaps that has been a blessing in disguise, for it helped the players to be more cohesive. 比起大多數(shù)的球隊(duì)，萊斯特城首發(fā)陣容的球員人數(shù)要少得多。他們的勝利并不是風(fēng)水輪流轉(zhuǎn)而已，其教練功不可沒。由于球隊(duì)資金有限，這位有“補(bǔ)鍋匠”之稱的教練以最小的變動(dòng)改良球隊(duì)，充分發(fā)揮最初陣容僅有的每個(gè)球員的長處。也許多虧了這種看似劣勢的境況，反而使得球員們更加團(tuán)結(jié)一心。 Until a week ago, seven of their players had been in the starting lineups in 32 or more games. Compare that with four for Spurs, two for the Gunners and one for each for the Red Devils and City. 截止一周前，萊斯特城首發(fā)陣容的7名球員打滿了32場甚至更多場。相比而言，熱刺僅剩4名，阿森納2名，曼聯(lián)和曼城各1名。 Their philosophy, too, has been different from the rest of the teams in Europe. They have made the best use of the resources at their command. They have used the long ball not because they are a physical side or less skillful, but to exploit the pace of their ace striker, who has earned the title of the Footballer of the Year. 萊斯特城的打法也與歐洲聯(lián)賽的其他球隊(duì)大相徑庭。一旦掌握控球權(quán)，他們力求高效進(jìn)球。他們并不是由于身體素質(zhì)好或是技術(shù)不佳才使用長傳球，而是為了將球準(zhǔn)確地傳給后來被評為“年度最佳球員”的主帥。 Yet they have proved the bookies and football pundits wrong. Indeed, the wily Foxes have outfoxed them all. But how dare they do that? Who gave them to the right to humble the behemoths of English football and their shining stars that cost the earth? Such audacity cannot be forgiven. They deserve the sternest punishment. They should be punished for making poorer teams dream again. They should be punished for surviving relegation last year this time and winning the league this season. They should be punished for bluffing everyone. They should be punished for restoring the glory of football. They should be punished by being elevated to the football hall of fame, if there is one. And perhaps their name should be changed from The Foxes to the Jackals. 甚至，他們應(yīng)該從“狐貍”更名為“豺狼”更為貼切。 But for now, long live The Foxes! 但此時(shí)此刻，讓我們一同高呼：萊斯特城萬歲！ 譯者：陳妍君 編輯：王楠
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