I dunno if they'll send their men's football squad, but they sure will send a lot! It is expected that N.Korea will send an unpresedented 350 athletes to the sporting event hosted by S.Korea. This is the first time ever N.Korea decided to participate in a sporting event hosted by S.Korea. In some events, the two Koreas might mix up the athletes. The torch will be met at the 38th parallel after both sides bring their fires(one from Mt.Baekdoo, the tallest mountain in the Korean peninsula located in the far north. Another one from Mt.Hanla which is located in the Cheju island, the island located in the south). and the torch met at the Panmunjom will be taken to Busan. Seems like a great news! I wonder how their men's football team will be able to participate. I've already asked the question to the KFA and I'm waiting for an answer. Does anybody know how their men's football squad will participate? or do they even participate? N.Korea's women's football squad will be a strong contender as they have already won the Asian Women's Cup 2001 with an average of more than 9 goals per game.
Didnt N.Korea mens football team win some kind of tournament last year? Anyway, I wonder how they will be put into a group. The groups have all been drawn and such. I wonder what criteria the Busan Games officials will use...
I got the reply from the KFA. They said that although N.Korea announced that they will participate in the Asian Games, they did not yet announce which events they'll be participating. So in other words, we do not know yet whether N.Korea will participate in men's football tournament. Also, IF N.Korea does, then Busan Asian Games Olympic Committee(BAGOC) and the AFC will work together and decide to either * regroup everybody or * just put N.Korea in one of the groups.
well they'll definately send their women's team. We just don't know about their men's team. I have a feeling we'll have a mixed team between north and south for the men's team. The level of the "Korea United" will go down then.
yes it was quite a surprise because the tournament had China and Kuwait. N.Korea beat both of them through PK shootout. The current N.Korean national team is VERY young. Most of their players were born between 1978~1982. The oldest player in the team is 28 years old.
Thats good. All they need is proper funding and facilities, which is practically impossible considering their situation right now...
There's a friendly scheduled on Sept 15 between North and South Korea on the FIFA website. Will this be a true international match? Will Korea Rep bring the full squad? How bad would it be for inter-Korean relations if the South beat the North by 6 or 7 goals? Or how bad would it be if the South "took it easy" on the North? Yikes, I don't want to see either.
never underestimate North Koreans. Remember in 94 they did beat Japan who South Korea couldn't. Even in that last game, South and North were tied until the half time. Sure, they have been declining since then, but their mentality is always better than South.
Well the N.K soccer team isnt coming for a fact. The groups have already been made. To re-group the teams would be outrageous just because of North Korea.
well we don't know for sure right now. I asked the KFA and they said they COULD fit N.Korea in and that is IF N.Korea decides to send their men's squad.
that's not gonna happen. It's going to be a really friendly match. Neither side will be die-hard at all.