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N Korea beats Japan in women's soccer to win gold at Asian Games

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North Korea upset defending champions Japan 3-1 to win the Asian Games women’s soccer gold on Wednesday.

Wow. How is the Japanese media playing this up?

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

I see unification right around the corner now. Cars and apartments instead of the gulag for these ladies.

These games were filled with childish national badmouthing and banter, thieving, ridiculous complaints about pins and assassins on display. A big turn-off.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Talk about a gut punch to Japanese women's soccer... Conspiracy theory: We give them the gold, softens hostage negotiations?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Didn't see that one coming. I don't think a single game besides this was reported in regards to women's soccer, and I watched them in friendlies and other media doing very well up to this game. But kudos for NK, who lost so bitterly in 2006, and again this just goes to show you that the women's side of soccer is a much more level playing field. Unification of course won't happen any time soon, but it was nice to see them chanting together.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I get the whole 1910-1945 colonization outrage, but this is really over the top - NKorea launches a war in 1950 that kills hundreds of thousands of SKoreans, occupies most of the country except Pusan, is finally pushed back in 1952 but since then launched a commando attack against the SKorea Blue (White) House (1968), tried to kill a majority of the SKorea government who were visiting Burma (1983), bombed a SKorea airliner out of the air (1987), and sunk a SKorean ship (2010) - let alone routinely claiming to turn Seoul into a sea of nuclear fire - and the SKoreans get all chummy and cheer them on against Japan - a country since 1945 that has provided them with significant monetary, industrial and medical/humanitarian assistance.

My bet is if the NKoreans were playing the US that the SKoreans would do exactly the same......and what does that say to the 36,000 US soldiers (and other UN nations) who died fighting the NKoreans, allowing those same SKoreans the freedom to express their support for their "brothers and sisters" today.......

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Wow. How is the Japanese media playing this up?

You don't play up a loss, you just report it. But the media has probably been covering long enough to know that NK is a pretty strong team. They were the favorite in Asia until around the time Japan won the world cup.

“Our respected leader visited our training camp on July 11 and gave the team valuable instruction on how to win the gold medal at the Asian Games. This victory reflects the boundless feelings of the players for our dear leader.”

OK, sure. Dear leader helped them win. It had nothing to do with the players, coach, or the fact that Japan was missing its Europe-based players and veteran players.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Its not easy to win in Soccer when everyone expects you to.... there is a lot of pressure. Its much easier being the underdog. That said... congratulations to North Korea! The beat an extremely strong team.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@jerseyboy

"How is the Japanese media playing this up?"

Just like how your country's media reacted when Japan beat your team in the last world cup, getting excited over how your team sucked

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

@lincolnman

"- and the SKoreans get all chummy and cheer them (North Korean soccer team) on against Japan -

Stop tantruming. As a long as the NK women won fair and square -- it's all good.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

lincolnman: "My bet is if the NKoreans were playing the US that the SKoreans would do exactly the same......and what does that say to the 36,000 US soldiers (and other UN nations) who died fighting the NKoreans, allowing those same SKoreans the freedom to express their support for their "brothers and sisters" today......."

It says that people like yourself invest too much in imagination and hypotheticals. And in any case I don't see them cheering for the Kim regime (the South Koreans) or the military that has done what you said (no evidence yet pinning NK for the 2010 sinking 100%, btw), but for the players and for the idea of a unified Korea. You think the hosts should be booing them or something?

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

NK > Japan b-team in my opinion. No surprise here.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Hide Suzuki: "Just like how your country's media reacted when Japan beat your team in the last world cup, getting excited over how your team sucked"

It's a shame you think the Japanese team sucked. I think they did fairly well, overall. In fact, obviously NK was the only team stronger. jerseyboy has a point about the media not really reporting a whole lot on this and other things involving the Asian Games. For the biggest event in the region aside from the Olympics, it sure got poor coverage here in the general media. Glad I saw a FEW events on TV, though.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

The usual excuses will come forth: intestines not long enough, legs too short, not enough miso soup before the game. Or perhaps the old staple that Koreans are more aggressive because they eat meat...

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Amazing how old king john un always gives words of wisdom . Sounds as nonsense as the theme of writing by the journalist at start of this article .

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It says that people like yourself invest too much in imagination and hypotheticals.

And it could be said that people like yourself spend too much time being amateur psychologists……..

And in any case I don't see them cheering for the Kim regime (the South Koreans) or the military that has done what you said (no evidence yet pinning NK for the 2010 sinking 100%, btw), but for the players and for the idea of a unified Korea. You think the hosts should be booing them or something?

Well good for you if you weren’t offended – some folks just lack the ability to perceive the political dimensions of what was going on……. But don’t criticize those of us that were offended. And you are correct, it is not 100% certain the Cheonam was sunk the NKoreans, only 98%……

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I've watched old footage of West Germans cheering for East Germans in sports, much the same as the Koreans here. Difficult I guess for many to comprehend: How can one support a team whose ideology is disagreeable? Bottom line is, kinship and shared culture comes before politics - and I think thats a great thing for a sports event.

Well played, ladies of North Korea and Japan - and kudos to the fans for showing respect. Looked like a virtually empty stadium, however!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I don't think a single game besides this was reported in regards to women's soccer

Wrong. I watched parts of two of their games which were broadcast during "golden time" on a major network (tbs, I believe)

0 ( +2 / -2 )

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