GROUP G/Brazil v Nth Korea:There are just five North Korean media at this World Cup, only one of whom is a reporter, writes EMMET MALONESoccer Correspondent in Johannesburg
BRAZIL ARE old hands at this World Cup stuff and, for the rest of us, their pre-match press conference was all that you expect in these situations; a fleeting glimpse of just the sort of manager v media feud that seems to be as much a part of the game these days as fast cars and foul play. With the North Koreans, however, everything is different.
For a start, there were not nearly enough of their journalists to monopolise yesterday’s pre-match press conference with master of international disdain, Kim Jong-hun. There are, in fact, just five North Korean media at this World Cup, only one of whom is a reporter, and while we just might be doing their country a terrible disservice, the general feeling amongst his international colleagues around Ellis Park was that initiating a feud with the manager on the eve of their first game at the finals in 44 years would probably not end entirely well for the hack.
The coach, in fact, cannot be used to anything approaching critical analysis by the media but, if he lacked practice at displaying contempt for their line of questioning in the manner of his foreign counterparts, the good news is he’s a natural.
The press conference, which was unusually well attended for one run by such a lowly ranked side, started with a request from a Fifa official that there be no questions about politics. “Good luck with that!” we might all have chorused back from the stalls.
An early indication of the road we were about to travel came from a journalist wondering whether it is the country’s leader, Kim Jong-il, rather the manager who actually picks the team. A long stony silence ensued before an English-speaking team official flanking Kim Jong-hun, angrily dismissed the notion with a single word: “Nonsense”.
Still, the dictator did get a few very positive mentions with the suggestion that he was a “great leader” presumably some of sort of mistranslation – that being the dead father (but still head of state) to the rather bizarre son who is generally referred to as dear.
The 54-year-old reacted tetchily too to an innocent inquiry as to whether he had watched South Korea’s defeat of Greece over the weekend. The problem seemed to be the absence of the term “South” or “Republic of” or perhaps it was just that with relations back home having taken for a turn for the frosty, he wasn’t up for an amiable chat about the common pride of the peninsula.
“There are 32 teams at this World Cup and we are called Korea Democratic People’s Republic. Please do not use any other name.” The aim of the DPR’s team, he added, “is to make our great leader proud and show the strong mentality of our people.”
The mood generally, though not necessarily his, lightened a little when he was asked about the country’s remarkable run in 1966 when they played a key part in eliminating Italy and would have done the same to Portugal but for the heroics of Eusebio.
“The players of 1966 have come to our training camp quite often,” he said. “They have told us what it will be like and gave us lot of encouragement. They hope, I hope, we all hope that we can make our great leader very proud.”
Kim Jong-hun himself was just 10 when Pak Doo-ik and co wrote their names into the game’s history books nearly half a century ago but, he insists, their efforts were to have a major impact on the course of his life.
“That’s what pushed me on,” he said. “That was when I realised that football could inspire the people of my country and it is the reason I have dedicated my life to the game”
Quite how the next chapter of his life story turns out remains to be seen. The players and coach of 1966 were hailed as heroes back home and well looked after by the regime for the rest of their lives but it is not clear how the current squad will be received should they fare badly in South Africa.
The manager has said more than once that he feels the team “must” reach the second phase, an achievement that would match that of their predecessors but it looks a very tall order in what is a very tough group.
He has talked more than once too of the team’s balance between defence and attack but their performances during qualification suggest that they are rather more practiced in the former; which might be as well given the quality of their opponents, particularly tonight.
The Brazilian statistics certainly don’t make happy reading for the North Koreans with the five-times World Champions having opened each of their last seven finals tournaments with a win while they are undefeated in their first match going all the way back to 1934. The current team has also coasted through its recent friendlies while their opponents tonight are without a win in seven.
Still, Dunga appeared to be in the wars with the press yesterday. There will be around 100 reporters from Brazil at the game this evening and despite his success at the Copa America and Confederations Cup with this team, it’s clear that not many of them regard their former World Cup winning captain as anything like a great leader.
