North Korean Soccer Team Punished for World Cup Failure

They weren't that bad against Portugal, either. At least, not as bad as the scoreline suggested.

All but two of North Korea's team played in their amateur domestic league with little or no contact with footballers from any other country.
Portugal are one of the best teams in the world, with players playing at many of the biggest clubs in Europe.

From what I remember, Portugal tore North Korea to shreds in the second-half, not so much due to drastically superior skill, but rather due to vastly superior physical fitness, as you'd expect with the comparative experience and level of competition that both sets of players play at.

It shows the complete pig-headed ignorance from the North Korean authorities, not to acknowledge the glaringly obvious reasons for their showing in the World Cup.

[edit on 31-7-2010 by Sherlock Holmes]

reply to post by Jelonek


Yeah according to western media sources which don't have much credibility when it comes to the truth. Western media sources only have one goal and that is to create an atmosphere of fear and negativity and they are very good at it. You only have to look at who owns the media to see what side there on.

reply to post by Sherlock Holmes

They toyed with NKs. You've seen Ronaldo's goal? Portugal far outclassed NK in technical field, on physical grounds it wasn't so bad but the entire defence of NK fell apart in the second half, even their manager acknowledged that they succumbed to chaos.
Kim was aiming for his heir to become the unseen hero behind the team's planned success, he was to be the spiritus animatus behind the team. They failed.
And you're right, Kim and his staff are somewhat brain-dead in the PR department, so it all came out as a huge face with nonsensical decisions.

Too much insecurity in NK (as well as a few other countries). They always have a need to be validated by the international community. It's sad really. Most 1st world nations compared to the not-so 1st world nations don't care when they lose in extra-curricular activities like sports. They have a tendency to forget that it's just a game and there are more important issues to attend to.

Originally posted by Jelonek
They toyed with NKs. You've seen Ronaldo's goal? Portugal far outclassed NK in technical field, on physical grounds it wasn't so bad but the entire defence of NK fell apart in the second half, even their manager acknowledged that they succumbed to chaos.

If you're talking about Ronaldo's goal that bounced off his back or head before he finished it, then I think that was a fluke.

I agree Portugal outclassed them, but it was North Korea's lack of fitness and experience of playing against players of that calibre that cost them in the second-half, and ultimately contributed to the scoreline.

My point is that a scenario such as the Portugal game was always likely to happen and was perfectly understandable due to the North Korean football set-up, as opposed to every other country's set-up that competed in South Africa.
It's a shame that the North Korean authorities can't understand this.

[edit on 31-7-2010 by Sherlock Holmes]

At the risk of being accused of being a propaganda peddler, I've managed to source the original article from RFA...

www.rfa.org...

It seems to have a bit more meat to it, and at least mentions both sources and the articles' writers.

In all honesty, I have a hard time believing anyone to be so naive that they truly think NK's leadership incapable of this.

In any case, it just goes to show how rediculous some people, especially those in positions of power, can truly behave when it comes to something so ultimately meaningless as organized sports... of course, if true, at least these guys didn't get gunned down like Columbia's keeper did after the U.S. tied them in '94.

Originally posted by Legion2112
In all honesty, I have a hard time believing anyone to be so naive that they truly think NK's leadership incapable of this.

I agree.
It's not like these things aren't without precedent in football.

I think it was in the 1974 World Cup that Haiti's manager apparently ''lost it'' and pulled a gun on his team during training, because he was under so much pressure to avoid heavy defeats due to the inevitable consequences that he and his team would face under the Duvalier regime.

Then there's the notorious case of the Iraqi team being tortured after they lost a World Cup qualifier to Kazakhstan - on the orders of one of Saddam Hussein's sons.

Sadly, I think there are those that are ''anti-West'' that choose to disbelieve this story purely because this story involves North Korea in a negative light.

When really all the story is, is about a repressive regime punishing their sportsmen for supposedly underachieving.
It's hardly that unbelievable, is it ?

[edit on 31-7-2010 by Sherlock Holmes]

reply to post by Sherlock Holmes

It is absolutely believable, what's less believable is that they punished them so lightly. Bu that's no surprise as well: some players play and live in Japan, and the entire team gathered notoriety during RPA World Cup so the eyes of the entire world are trained on them and their doings back in the homeland.
To punish them more harshly would be a terrible mistake. They're reprimanded, exhausted, humiliated and forced to do absurd things like bouncing the ball for two days straight, but that's as far as it goes. They're punished and everyone's happy, the world does not see the infamous super-drastic measures taken against them. Kim is humanitarian. Kim is your friend. Kim wants good results bu still he's no demon. You get the picture.

Originally posted by Jelonek
It is absolutely believable, what's less believable is that they punished them so lightly. Bu that's no surprise as well: some players play and live in Japan, and the entire team gathered notoriety during RPA World Cup so the eyes of the entire world are trained on them and their doings back in the homeland.
To punish them more harshly would be a terrible mistake.

I think in one of the articles it said that their two Japan based players were spared from this retribution, which probably shows that the North Korea authorities are aware of the repercussions of any harsher punishment.

What I think is sad, is that some of the more brain-washed players may have thought that their public humiliation was somehow ''just'' for disappointing Kim and his cronies.

After the Brazil game, the North Korean goalkeeper said that he felt like he was ''defending the gates of the Motherland''.

[edit on 31-7-2010 by Sherlock Holmes]

reply to post by oozyism

I would rather believe the N-Korean account than the American propaganda machine.

Simple as that.

To end it, this whole issue ends with N-Korean words VS US words.

You'd rather believe NK. eh? Surely you jest. Only a fool would believe them.

Watch a bit of this video and then tell me you believe the NK. I was only able to watch about 20 minutes of it before I got depressed.



www.freerepublic.com...

I actually feel sad for the people of North Korea.

reply to post by mishigas


LOL my whole argument revolved around propaganda, and you posted a propaganda video, a whole 1 hour video

reply to post by oozyism


Is that too much for your attention span? Not enough chance to lol lol lol?

Watch some of it and learn something about propaganda.

Originally posted by mishigas
reply to post by oozyism

 

Is that too much for your attention span? Not enough chance to lol lol lol?

Watch some of it and learn something about propaganda.

1 hour of my life?

I refuse to watch it, give me the conclusion, tell me which parts of the video lead you to that conclusion then I will watch those parts, and those parts only.


For example tell me it was 10.29 minutes through the video. It shows the time anyways, so it is easy.

I refuse to watch the whole thing./

reply to post by oozyism


You've got nothing better to do. Watch the video.

Learn about propaganda.

reply to post by Freeborn


typical britons , know no hindi ,urdu or about foreign cultures , but yet put nose in other's affairs .
jashn means celebration

reply to post by Chamberf=6


can you provide sources other than western propaganda bs, (chinese,russian or al jazeera)????

reply to post by Legion2112


RFA is radio free asia and has been funded by CIA and US congress since its inception , so again its propaganda BS and not legit source

www.historytimes.com...

www.globalresearch.ca...

reply to post by sadchild01


So I should know every word of every language?

I at least 'googled' the word and stated what the answers were.

But why am I trying to explain myself to you and wtf has your racism and ignorance got to do with this thread?

Originally posted by sadchild01
typical britons , know no hindi ,urdu or about foreign cultures , but yet put nose in other's affairs .
jashn means celebration

Please tell me what ''mulţumesc'' means in Romanian without googling.
Or perhaps you know nothing about foreign cultures ?

The reason hardly anybody in Britain knows what ''jashn'' means, is because only a tiny minority of Britons speak or understand hindi, urdu or any other minority languages that have no relevance to most people's lives.

The language of Britain is English ( and Welsh in a few parts ).

Originally posted by sadchild01
can you provide sources other than western propaganda bs, (chinese,russian or al jazeera)????

I understand what you mean about propaganda, but surely you can see that Chinese, Russian and Arabic MSM have their very own propaganda and interests that they wish to promote ?

Why would anyone that disbelieves in Western propaganda wilfully take on board Russian or Chinese propaganda instead ?
It doesn't make sense.