fire on all cylinders #2
おはようございます。自動車から来たfireg on all cylindersは以前にも扱いましたが、「（エンジン）全開にする」「フルスピードを出す」「レッドゾーンにぶち込む」というもともとの意味から「絶好調で行く」、「ばく進する」という比喩的な意味でも使われます（cf. at/in full throttle）。この記事では否定辞と一緒に用いられていますので、「全力ではむかってこない」「主力は温存して」あたりでしょうか。（UG）
Japan no longer has World Cup fate in own hands
Coach Alberto Zaccheroni gave the team the day off Saturday to help prepare mentally for the enormous task ahead.
“The reason isn’t physical,” Zaccheroni told reporters, explaining his unexpected decision to cancel practice. “It’s to help the team find the right balance in their approach to the next match.”
Qualifying for the knockout stages will be like threading a needle, but Japan may have two factors going for it. Colombia has already qualified and probably won’t be firing on all cylinders for the Japan match; the Central Americans may even be tempted to rest players. On the other hand, Greece — at the bottom of Group C — are also still barely in the tournament and so have every reason to come out hard against Cote d’Ivoire.
Zaccheroni said Japan has done its homework on Colombia — but not too much homework. He stressed that the key is playing Japan’s style instead of trying to adapt to their opponents, precisely the trap his players fell into in the last two matches.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/world_cup/view/japan-no-longer-has-world-cup-fate-in-own-hands
