Was Kim Jong-il behind North Korea’s 7-0 shellacking?
Kim Jong-il, North Korea’s leader and a known soccer fan, may be behind the North Korean World Cup team’s humiliating 7-0 defeat to Portugal. The South Korean daily Chosun IIbo said a report from Radio Free Asia revealed that Mr. Kim’s entry into the world of coaching followed his country’s defeat to Brazil. Although they lost 2-1, the North Koreans put up a remarkable showing. The paper’s online English edition said RFA quoted a source as saying, “After watching the match against powerhouse Brazil, in which North Korea recorded a respectable 1-2 loss with a tight defence strategy, Kim Jong-il said that although the team played the first half well, it lost because it only focused on defence in the second half. He then gave orders for the team’s defenders to be positioned forward and even specified where each defender should be standing in the field.” The source said Mr. Kim’s orders were then relayed to South Africa and implemented. Before North Korea’s World Cup game with Brazil a rep
