Their Finest Hour - DPRK vs ROK WCQ Shanghai March 26

Over thirty years ago in San Diego California I talked my into a press pass for an NASL game and got an interview, well two questions in high school German to World Cup legend Gerd Muller. This month by simply getting on the phone to FIFA in Switzerland and demanding information about the quickly rescheduled World Cup Qualifier in Shanghai between DPR (North) Korea and RO (South) Korea I was e-mailed an application for press credentials, which I sent on to my friends at KansaiScene magazine for Editor Chris Page's signature, and then forwarded it to the HQ of the Chinese Football Federation in Beijing. Ka-ching! I arrived at Shanghai's Hongkou Stadium 4 hours before kickoff in time to watch the end of the early China vs. Australia WCQ from Kumming in a nearby bar.The altitude had worked in China's favor and the match was still 0-0 when China won a Penalty Kick in the 86 minute. The Chinese forward stepped up, Mark Schwartzer took his stance, two nations held their breath, the kick....SAVED! The Chinese bar patrons either filed out or took to playing cards as if nothing had happened. Outside the stadium, with the supporters arriving, it was going off. The South's partisans, with flags, horns, wigs, and chants, were in full display. They were reliving again the glory of World Cup 2002 in their homeland. Nearly 20,000 South Koreans would be in attendance, mostly local expats living and working in Shanghai, with a planeload or two of hard-core supporters flying in from Seoul for this must see fixture. The North's firm? They numbered three hundred, but like the Spartans, they were going make sure they were known. Standing, flags furled, quietly awaiting orders in neutral white caps and windbreakers, they consisted of Embassy staff from Beijing, company employees based in China, and a gaggle of hot young women, whom I first thought were from a special unit of female cheerleaders from Pyongyang, radiant beauties handpicked to entertain at official functions. They turned out to be waitresses from the North Korean restaurants in North China. Inside the stadium filled up and I found my seat in press section, surrounded by high tech reporters from Seoul tapping away on laptops. My souvenir North Korean scarf, bought from my UK friends at Koryotours.com caught the attention of a Chongryon (NK Association in Japan) cameraman, who asked to interview me on film. I obliged, in hopes of getting a quote from some DPRK players after the match. Soon the players filed out, and the anthems, the source of all the controversy, were played without incident. I couldn't help but notice the size of the official flags, the DPRK's half the size of the ROKs, and even smaller than the FIFA flag. It was a thrilling match. Here are excerpts from my magazine article- "On paper, this match is no contest. The Republic of Korea called up their European based players, including four from the English Leagues, where the world’s best football is now played: Park Ji Sung, from Manchester United, Lee Yong Pyo from Spurs, Seol Ki Hyeon from Fulham, and Kim Do Heon from (2nd div) West Brom. The rest of the squad is all experienced with some veterans from the 2006 World Cup. Opposing them is Jong Tae Se, An Yong Hak, who plays for Busan in South Korea and Hong Yong Jo, who plays in Europe for Serbian side Bezanjia. They all meet in the center circle and the ball is kicked off to great roars. As predicted, only Jong plays forward for the DPRK and everyone else falls back on defense. In the first 10 minutes they are almost overrun as the ROK skillfully pass, penetrate the box, and are only foiled at the last second by a determined DPRK defense. The North concedes the midfield for stretches of time, letting the South maneuver freely, but again and again they pull back into the box, skillfully defending and kick the ball out hopefully to Jong or captain Han Song Chol who lead the first counter attacks into ROK territory. The game is physical but restrained as both sides realize a single spark could turn into a diplomatic incident. Then as two heads go up for the same ball, ROK captain Kim Nam Il crumples to the ground and is stretchered off straight into the dressing room and substituted by Kim Do Hyun. The South supporters boo for the first time but the Kuwaiti ref keeps control and play is resumed. The first half whistle blows and it ends even 0-0. The second half begins briskly and it is soon clear the South has underestimated their Northern brothers, who continue to defend well, and now, with the absence of the ROK captain, begin to create their own possibilities in the midfield. Then in the 65th minute, an ROK defensive headed clearance goes straight to Jong Tae Se, alone in the box. Just him and the goalkeeper, every forward’s dream. He shoots… and goalkeeper Jung Sung Ryong slaps it wide. It was the chance of the game and he knows it. The minutes grind on, the South attacks with vigor, winning corner kicks and sending dangerous crosses in, but again and again the DPRK defends. On one long shot I can see their goalkeeper Rib Myong Guk steady himself, dig his heels in dangerously over the goal line, and make a thudding catch. After one clearance the DPRK team all look at each other and briefly applaud themselves. Jong is substituted out for another defender and after one last dangerous South corner kick goes over the goal the whistle blows. 0-0 it ends and face is saved by both sides." I'm sure FIFA will be impressed enough to give me credentials for South Africa. At the end of the match there is a moment when the North team walks over and applauds a mass of of South supporters, immediately followed by the South doing the same. This causes some brief friction at the post-match news conference which I had to dash through the stadium to find just in time. First of all, the volunteer translator could barely get the ROK coach's remarks into coherent English "Because of the weather and the poor condition of the pitch we couldn't play well." A North official jacks her off the podium when the DPRK coach's turn comes. Then I actually get a question in about Jong Tae Se - the gaffer expresses disappointment that he didn't play better [real meaning - he should have sunk that 'sitter]. Then some French reoporter asks the DPRK men about the team saluting the South fans. I say outloud "but the South did it too." The North coach just stares at the reporter, no answer, and then when the conference ends he gets all gallic pissy with me. "Why did you say that, the North did it first!" Tough merde, the DPRK still would have stonewalled that loaded question. After the match I can't resist walking through the dismayed ROK fans with my North scarf up, giving the two DPRK chants that I know "Chosen Iguryo! Cholima Chuku-da!" (Go North, 'Cholima' football team!)I find Simon across the street in the Tsingtao beer bar with some NK supporters. They turn out to be his business friends in the DPRK tour industry. I show off my 1994 World Cup tattoo and we drink to the North's golden point, which probably won't get them to South Africa but which still feels good. I don't think I'll have to wait another 30 years for my next press pass.

Koreas come to Shanghai

Right place, right time? I'm in Shanghai China where I live from time to time with my
native wife, and I just enjoyed a front row seat on March 5 for the LA Galaxy -East Asia
Shanghai Hong Kong exhibition match, won by LA 3-0. I even snuck into a closed practice
and got to banter briefly with Golden Balls himself, coach Ruud Gullit, Alexi Lalas,
Cobi Jones and other lower paid members of the team. That done, I thought that was it for
football in China. Was I wrong.



The two Koreas, North and South, drawn into the same World Cup qualifying group, were scheduled to play their first home and away match in Pyongyang, the East Berlin, of the North on March 26 when a disagreement arose. The DPRKs refused to give permission for the South to 1) display their flag, 2) play their anthem and 3) have away supporters present. After tense negotiations
it was agreed to play the match here in Shanghai, with the North essentially giving up a home game. Mental, but understadable as the two countries are technically still at war and the South
the favored team to beat.

So for the last week I have been trying to find out where the match will be played and how to score tickets. I e-mailed the Koryo Tours people, the Brits who run tours into the North, and got an invite to a showing of the documentary film they did about the 1966 DPRK team , the one that beat Italy 1-0. Then after calling FIFA in Zurich, saying I was with independent media trying to get more information, they sent me an application for press accreditation. So I am hoping one of my Kansai magazines comes through with an editors' signature and I can cover the match from the press box. Magnificent. Stay tuned.