North Korea may be ranked by FIFA 105th in the world, the lowest-ranking country to compete in the World Cup 2010, and it may also be in the group of death that features giants Brazil and Portugal, but the North Korea's performance last night against Brazil showed that the country from behind the Iron Curtain is not just content to make up the numbers.
North Korea may be ranked by FIFA 105th, the lowest-ranking country to compete in the World Cup 2010, and it may also be in the group of death that features giants Brazil and Portugal, but the country’s performance last night against Brazil showed that the country from behind the Iron Curtain is not just content to make up the numbers.
Brazil may have controlled most of the game at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, and created a fair number of chances, but North Korea’s five-man defense – which commentators insist on comparing to the country’s paranoid political regime – kept the Seleção at bay, conceding only two goals to Maicon and Elano.
Advertisement
Then came the shock: Just as it looked the game was moving away from the Koreans, striker Ji Yun-nam burst at speed onto a beautifully laid-on ball to strike it past Brazilian keeper Julio Cesar and bring the score to 2-1.
But with only a few minutes remaining, there was no ‘et tu’ for the keeper.
The spirited North Korean performance and tenacious defense – they had kept a clean sheet for the previous ten games – means that they could score an upset against other illustrious opponents.
This stirs memories of North Korea’s only previous World Cup appearance to date, in the 1966 World Cup in England. The unknown team beat mighty Italy 1-0 at Ayresome Part in Middlesborough, knocking the Azurris out of the competition in one of the most sensational soccer upsets of all time.
What makes the story additionally interesting is that in 1966 North Korea went onto the quarterfinals – and lost to Portugal 5-3, after having led 3-0 at one stage.
North Korea’s next match is against Portugal at Cape Town – and 44 years later, they will be in the mood for revenge.
