North Korea lost the football game against Brazil 2-1. At half time there were no goals. In the second half North Korea scored a goal. Brazilian players play all year round in the world’s best leagues, with and against the world’s best players. What do North Korean players do? How did they get good enough to even qualify for the tournament, never mind not lose 14-0?
Presumably the players are well motivated. At press conferences the manager is sensitive and testy: “…we are called Korea Democratic People’s Republic. Please do not use any other name.”
He does not want to talk about the leader. When asked, “Who selects your team – you or the president?”, the annoyed answer is, “That’s a political question. Next question please.” But he’ll yak on about the leader all day, living up to the stereotype: “This will bring a lot of joy to the Great Leader, it will show that North Koreans have great mental strength.” In some other interview, he proves that he thinks just how we think he thinks, or at least knows what he is supposed to say: “Perhaps there is no other team in the world who would be fighting with the same dedication to please the leader and to bring fame to their motherland.”
The team are probably lucky ones and well favoured, but there’s no reason to believe they are exposed to the outside world very much. Perhaps they have watched football played by the top leages on TV. Presumably they are physically fit and well trained in basic skills. But I am surprised that is enough to play reasonably well against Brazil. Perhaps physical training and basic ball skills is all it takes to play well and I am overestimating the value of experience. Perhaps Brazil weren’t trying hard enough; it happens when top teams play lower teams. Perhaps those men really are playing for their lives. Or perhaps North Korea has its equivalent of the Premier League and we have never seen it.
The North Koreans are an enigma.
Reportedly half their supporters in the grandstands are really Chinese, and the other half don’t know each other.
One of the team was crying during their anthem – I figured it was because he thought one of his family would be killed if they didn’t do well.
Definitely surprising they made the World Cup at all, and scored against Brazil.
Well, well, well….
North Korea suprised many people including myself who thought that this unknown bunch of players with red shirts are going to get a thumping from the Brazilians. Well I was wrong.
The North Koreans played with maturity and style that can match with any team in west. Furthermore the majority of the North Korean players have the skill and the capacity to play top flight European football.
One thing that I dont understand is why are people connecting a bunch of footballers to a regime?
Say this for example…
Your a professional athlete who is playing and representing a country, but your country is different to other countries in the world and is labelled as a dictatorship?
Would you be happy if you was connect to that, or would you just want to get on and play the best sport in the world. Football.
Anyways aside that, its the World Cup. So
My prediction is, with whats going on with Portugal and Ivory Coast, North Korea have a chance of going through, only if they strengthen their attack more, by being consistent in the oponnents half, and tracking back into position more quicker.
“One thing that I dont understand is why are people connecting a bunch of footballers to a regime?”
They are inextricably connected. Every other team has players that play in leagues all over the world. These players are imprisoned in their own country. Every other team has fans that have travelled to South Africa to watch their team play. North Korean fans are imprisoned in their own country. Even if you ignore politics these facts affect the game. How’s that for starters?