High-Stakes Soccer
"I am determined to do my best to bring joy and happiness to Kim Jong Il." -- North Korean forward Jin Pyol Hul.
Women's soccer, according to this report, was initially regarded in North Korea with suspicion -- seen alternatively as an affront to the elegance of Korean women and as an example of leisure-class decadence.
However, the growing international enthusiasm for the sport caught the attention of North Korean officials and, more importantly, that of an "enthralled" Kim Jong-Il, who has seized on the opportunity for a national morale-booster. South Korea's expectation-defying performance in the 2002 men's World Cup can only have increased his interest.
The North Korean men's team is going nowhere, having yet to recover from two purges. The first sent most of the fabled, Italy-beating 1966 team into prison camps or internal exile. The second followed the team's failure in the 1994 World Cup preliminaries; Kim Jong-Il is said to have been furious. Officials were subsequently banished to coal mines, the head coach is reportedly laboring at a sports equipment factory, and the underperforming players have been banned from the sport.
With the men out of the picture, national prestige depends on the women. With this kind of pressure, I wonder if it's altogether surprising that the team – sent to the US to face down the "enemy" on its home turf – seems to have choked. After trouncing Nigeria, to the joy of some 200 Korean-American fans who came to show solidarity, the North Koreans floundered against Sweden and are now in a must-win situation against the US, which is favored. (The game is this afternoon in Columbus, OH).
Team officials have responded to the dismal performance by blaming referees and the host country (for busing the team around to too many facilities). Well, all soccer teams behave that way – remember Italy in 2002? But a blogger at freenorthkorea.net suggests that the team may need to stir up a fuss in order to explain their underachievement to the home audience, and cushion themselves from the fallout if they get sent home early.
1:11:14 PM 
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