2010 FIFA World Cup: Who Will Make the Final Cut for North Korea

Several countries have publicly announced their 30-man preliminary rosters for the 2010 World Cup and the internet is buzzing with debate regarding the inclusions as well as the omissions.

North Korea, however, is one squad that isn’t apt to spark much discussion. Even if they hadn’t drawn into the Group of Death alongside behemoths Brazil, Portugal, and Ivory Coast, their odds of winning the tournament would still be slim to none.

But 23 men will still make the trip to South Africa this summer, and per FIFA regulations, those 23 must come from the preliminary rosters that were due today. Here’s a look at my picks for Chollima’s squad.

GOALKEEPERS

Unless you’re Fabio Capello, goalkeepers are usually the easiest selections to make and this holds true for head coach Kim Jong-Hun as well.

Ri Myong-Guk is the undisputed number one. He played in 15 of North Korea’s 16 qualifying matches, keeping a staggering 10 clean sheets and allowing only 6 goals.

Ju Kwang-Min is the only other keeper to make an appearance during qualifying. Look for him to be Myong-Guk’s backup. Kwang-Min played one half of the opening leg against Mongolia in the first round of AFC qualifying, then tended the net for the entire 90 minutes in the home fixture, but has not featured since.

Although Kim Myong-Gil has not played a competitive match for Chollima since the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, he is the logical choice for the number three spot given his 10 appearances for the national team.  The only other keeper North Korea really has to choose from is Ri Kang, but he has yet to earn his first cap despite several call-ups.

DEFENDERS

North Korea made it to the 2010 World Cup qualifiers thanks to a nearly impenetrable defense that only conceded 7 goals throughout the entire qualifying campaign .

A typical World Cup roster includes the starting 11 and a backup for each of those players along with a third goalkeeper for a total of 23.  Given the defensive-minded 5-3-2 formation Coach Jong-Hun tends to utilize, this means that 10 of North Korea’s 23 roster spots would be occupied by defenders.

On the other hand, a team can only make three substitutions per game, so taking 10 defenders to the World Cup might be a tad excessive. The following eight players were all part of qualifying so it’s a safe bet to say every one of them will be on the plane to South Africa.

Cha Jong-Hyok

Ri Jun-Il

Ri Kwang-Chon

Nam Song-Chol

Pak Nam-Chol

Jon Kwang-Ik

Han Song-Chol

Pak Chol-Jin

MIDFIELDERS

Most teams will take eight midfielders to South Africa, but according to my calculations, North Korea only has room for seven. This should not pose a problem, however, given Coach Jong-Hun’s preferred 5-3-2 formation. In fact, it actually affords him an extra midfielder based on the aforementioned equation of doubling.

Kim Yong-Jun is currently the most-capped player on the squad with 52 and played a vital role in North Korea’s qualifying so he is sure to make the final cut.  He will almost certainly be joined by fellow veterans An Young-Hak, Mun In-Guk, and Ji Yun.  All four players were involved with the 2006 qualifying campaign as well.

If I were Coach Jong-Hun, I would also include Ryang Yong-Gi in my squad. He was the MVP and Golden Boot winner in this year’s AFC Challenge Cup, where North Korea took home top honors. He is also the captain of his club, Vegalta Sendai, in Japan’s first division.

Pak Song-Chol was another player with a breakout performance in the Challenge Cup whose skilled foot in dead ball situations could trouble even the world’s best defenses.

Assuming he takes seven midfielders to South Africa, Coach Jong-Hun will probably choose the final spot from amongst these players, who are all likely to make his 30-man preliminary roster.

Pak Nam-Chol

Yun Yong-Il

Kim Kuk-Jin

Ri Chol Myong

FORWARDS

Hong Yong-Jo (pictured) scored 4 goals and captained the North Koreans during their entire qualifying campaign so he is a shoe in to make the final cut.  He is also the only player on the entire squad who plies his trade in Europe.

Another player who is certain to be on the plane to South Africa is Jong Tae-Se, dubbed the “Asian Wayne Rooney.”  Although he is Yong-Jo's usual striking partner, he will need to up his one goal tally from AFC qualifying if he ever hopes to live up to his namesake.

21-year-old forward Jong Chol-Min tied captain Yong-Ho’s 4 goal haul despite appearing in only two qualifying matches. He also played an important role for Chollima in the 2005 Under-17 and 2007 Under-20 FIFA World Cups so I look for him to make the final cut as well.

That only leaves room on the plane for two more forwards by my estimation and Choe Kum-Chol will likely claim one of those spots. He earned 8 of his 15 caps during qualifying, where he also scored 2 of his 5 career goals for North Korea.

It’s a toss-up who will win the final roster spot from among these forwards, but they should also make Coach Jong-Hun's 30-man roster.

Pak Chol-Min

An Chol-Hyok

Kim Myong-Won