虎扑07月16日讯 The Athletic UK通讯记者Matt Slater撰写因凡蒂诺专栏。因凡蒂诺在接受瑞士媒体Bluewin采访时，实际上证实了自己将继续推进世界杯扩军至64支球队的计划。尽管他此前曾表示，在刚从32队扩至48队之后不应这么快再次扩军，且国际足联理事会内部也有成员对此持反对意见。    The Pentagon has ordered a second aircraft carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean near Israel to deter Iran or Hezbollah from joining the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to U.S. officials.A senior U.S. official and a U.S. official told ABC News that the USS Eisenhower carrier strike group will be ordered to the eastern Mediterranean to join the USS Gerald R Ford carrier strike group that arrived there earlier this week and is in international waters off of Israel."I have directed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to begin moving to the Eastern Mediterranean," said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a statement confirming the deployment. "As part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas's attack on Israel."Senior U.S. officials have said publicly this week that the presence of the USS Ford carrier strike group in the eastern Mediterranean and the addition of more U.S. Air Force fighter jets to the region was intended to show the U.S. commitment to Israel and to serve as a deterrent to Iran and Hezbollah not to get involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict."These posture increases were intended to serve as an unequivocal demonstration in deed and not only in words of U.S. support for Israel's defense and serve as a deterrent signal to Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and any other proxy across the region who might be considering exploiting the current situation to escalate conflict," a senior U.S. defense official said Monday. "Those adversaries should think twice."Having the Eisenhower joining the Ford will increase the show of force enhancing that message of deterrence.A third U.S. official told ABC News that the Pentagon is also considering the deployment of the USS Bataan amphibious assault ship closer to Israel to provide additional support if needed. The consideration of the ship and the rotary aircraft it carries while on deployment to the Middle East was first reported by CNN.The Eisenhower strike group left Norfolk, Virginia, earlier on Saturday bound for a previously scheduled deployment that would take it to the Middle East via the Mediterranean Sea where it was to participate in previously-scheduled exercises in the U.S. European Command area of responsibility.Its pending deployment led to speculation that it might be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to join the USS Ford, but a Pentagon statement would only say that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin would "continue to review both the Eisenhower and Ford's deployment plans as he considers the appropriate balance of maritime capability across theaters in support of national security priorities."The Eisenhower strike group includes the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower and the guided missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG-58), and the guided missile destroyers USS Laboon (DDG-58), USS Mason (DDG-87) and USS Gravely (DDG-107).The USS Ford strike group arrived in the waters of the eastern Mediterranean on Tuesday and in addition to the carrier includes the cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), as well as destroyers USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), USS Ramage (DDG 61), USS Carney (DDG 64), and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80).。

二 | 国际足联主席詹尼-因凡蒂诺的言论表明，这一议题将在2030年世界杯之前进行探讨。但这行得通吗？毕竟，他的论点大概会是这样的：本届预选赛中，10支非洲球队有9支打进了32强；只有库拉索遭遇惨败（以1-7输给德国，尽管他们也曾逼平击败过德国队的厄瓜多尔队）；还有佛得角的表现又如何呢？更别提扩军至64队还能解决一些荒谬的问题：比如小组赛12个小组第三名中只有8个能晋级的尴尬规则，或者像苏格兰这样的球队必须苦苦等待、在踢完更多比赛前都不知道自己是出局还是晋级的情况；同时还能增加24场比赛卖给转播商，甚至可能腾出名额让中国、印度、意大利和尼日利亚等国球队参赛。他甚至可能试图说服那些持怀疑态度的人，声称2030年扩军至64队只是一次性举措，旨在隆重纪念首届世界杯百年诞辰——即让曾举办首届赛事的南美洲承办四组小组赛，而不是区区三场比赛……但这种事一旦开了先例，就像挤出的牙膏一样再也塞不回去了；正如我们即将见证的那样，足球比赛正突然从“上下半场”制转变为“四节”制。如果说那种赤裸裸的敛财行径——或者用那位全球头号“幸福缔造者”的话来说，这是顺理成章的下一步——让你感到反感，那么对于一项由48支球队参加、或许每两年（而非四年）举办一次的世俱杯，你又作何感想呢？加码投入、全面出击、不断索取、迫使对手转入防守——因凡蒂诺深谙此道。至于他是否真正维护了这项运动的长远利益？这恐怕还有待观察。当然，亚足联、中北美及加勒比海地区足联和欧足联可能会继续反对64支球队参加的世界杯……但也可能发现，其成员国已不再认为扩充参赛队伍有什么坏处，尤其是考虑到这能进一步增加他们从国际足联获得的拨款。毕竟，如果佛得角、库拉索、海地和乌兹别克斯坦都能获得参赛资格，那他们为何不能呢？同样，欧洲足球俱乐部协会主席纳赛尔-阿尔-赫莱菲或许会坚定捍卫欧洲顶级联赛及洲际杯赛的地位，从而坚决抵制规模更大或举办频率更高的世俱杯……但也可能这位巴黎圣日耳曼和beIN体育的掌门人会意识到大势所趋，转而选择顺水推舟。事实上，在我们那项非正式调查中，几位受访者指出，无论这一合资项目最终形态如何，终究需要一位掌舵人；而一手促成此事的因凡蒂诺，无疑是最佳人选。如此一来，他和阿尔-赫莱菲或许能互换职位——正如The Athletic去年首次提出的那样。这肯定比因凡蒂诺（再次）修改章程、废除三届限制以延长其在国际足联的任期（超过2031年）更有可能发生吧？“眼下我不排除任何可能性，”一位忧心忡忡的受访者说道。“我想，他身边的人会抛出这个想法，”另一位人士说道，“这或许会成为各大洲足联真正的‘红线’——不过，我可不敢拿身家性命去打赌。”也有人猜测，沙特方面或许会为他安排一个类似“足球掌门人”的职位；尽管目前尚不清楚沙特在搅动全球体坛格局方面的决心究竟有多大，而且这位“掌门人”到了2034年时，其麾下的“帝国”可能早已不复存在。

三 | 来源：纽约时报