2010 FIFA World Cup: North Korea (Korea DPR) Preview

North Korea is headed to the World Cup Finals for only the second time in the country’s history, making their first appearance in the competition since 1966, when they upset Italy to advance to the quarter-finals.

The odds of them progressing beyond the group stage this time around, however, are slim, having been matched up against Brazil, Portugal, and Ivory Coast in what many consider this year’s Group of Death.

SCHEDULE

Brazil: June 15

Portugal: June 21

Ivory Coast: June 25

No one expects North Korea to do much against the caliber of opponents they have had the misfortune of drawing.  This may reduce the pressure to perform and allow them to impress by simply playing quality football, although that may be easier said than done.

Their opening fixture is as tough as they come.  The odds are always against you when your opponent is Brazil, the most successful nation in history with a record 5 championships.  Currently ranked #1 by FIFA, they are also the only country on earth to have competed in all 18 World Cups. 

From there, the North Koreans must travel over 1400 kilometers to face Portugal, who finished 4th in the 2006 competition, and will only go half that distance to get to Cape Town.  Just four days later, they are scheduled to play Ivory Coast in Nelspruit, almost 1800 kilometers from Cape Town, and over 1740 meters above sea level, where altitude is likely to be a factor.  Conversely, their opponents will travel less than a quarter of that distance and have the added benefit of already being acclimated from their second match.

KEY PLAYERS

Russian-based forward Hong Yong-Jo, the team’s captain, is the only member of the squad who plays professionally in Europe, and he will have to repeat the form that saw him score 4 goals during AFC qualifying if his side hopes to compete in South Africa.  He is joined up top by Jong Tae-Se, an explosive threat with a fierce shot and the strength to brush off opposing defenders, inspiring the media to dub him the “Asian Wayne Rooney.”

Head coach Kim Jong-Hun’s bench includes striker Jong Chol-Min, who also scored 4 goals during qualifying, and midfielder Pak Song-Chol, whose deft foot could prove valuable on set-pieces.

Goalkeeper Ri Myong-Guk is the linchpin of the North Korean defense.  He was the man between the sticks in all but one of their qualifying matches, keeping an astounding 10 clean sheets in 15 appearances.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

North Korea’s strength is a stingy defense that allowed only 7 goals throughout their entire qualifying campaign, but then again, they weren’t facing offenses featuring FIFA’s World Player of the Year for 2007 (Kaká, Brazil), 2008, and runner-up 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), or Ivory Coast’s all-time top scorer, Didier Drogba.

They emerged from the third round of qualifying unbeaten and without conceding a single goal, yet still finished second in Group 3 behind South Korea based on goal differential, which may demonstrate a lack of attacking options.

North Korea’s biggest obstacle, however (other than the Group of Death itself), is their lack of international experience, with the mainstay of their squad plying their trade domestically, but this could also work in their favor since opponents will not be used to their style of play.

IT WOULD BE A GREAT WORLD CUP IF

They make it to the round of 16.  It’s always nice to see a dark horse pull off an amazing upset, and in an interesting twist of fate, Portugal was the team responsible for eliminating them from the tournament 44 years ago, winning 5-3 despite trailing North Korea 3-0 after twenty-five minutes.

IT WOULD BE A DISASTER IF

We see a violent repeat of their World Cup qualifier with Iran from 2005 in which the North Koreans rushed Syrian referee Mohamed Kousa following his failure to award a controversial penalty.  Kousa responded by sending off one of their players, enraging fans who reacted by throwing bottles, stones, and chairs onto the field then refused to let the Iranian team leave the stadium after the match, forcing riot police to intervene.

MY PREDICTION

North Korea takes its nickname from a mythical horse—the Chollima—that legend says was too swift to be mounted.  Group G will ultimately prove to be a Chollima for Chollima given a scenario that is already going to see either Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, or Didier Drogba watching the Round of 16 from home.

My prediction?  Three straight losses, which people in North Korea will not even get to see since Dictator Kim Jong-il has banned the broadcast of all live matches from state-run television.