The U.S.-North Korea Olympic women’s soccer game on July 31 is sure to draw global attention
north korea
“Insipid” Sounds About Right
Jeezo peezo. If that farce was a World Cup 1/8th final match, I wonder how we managed to avoid death by narcolepsy during the group rounds. Certainly the Netherlands deserved its 2-1 victory over Slovakia, but only because it lost what for the most part looked like a sleepwalk competition: the Dutch couldn’t quite manage to be as …
Multipolar Dreaming
Japan’s inspiring play last night (and Tony’s post) have me daring to wish for what in any other Cup would have been the impossible: greatly favored sides being shown the door by nominally modest rivals. If France and Italy can both go out in disgrace, and the U.S. finish ahead of England, why not hope for (but not lay lots of money …
Portugal Resplendent
The match isn’t over yet (well, it is; just time isn’t out yet), but Portugal’s 5-0-and-counting drubbing of North Korea is as impressive as Germany’s opening pounding of Australia was—and perhaps then some. Sure, it turns out Australia isn’t as bad as it looked in taking four unanswered German goals last week, while North …
Cheering For North Korea: Weird, But Fun
Okay, let’s get one thing clear: no one likes horrible totalitarian dictatorial regimes that brutalize their populations, starve their people through incompetent and willfully destructive leadership, and spent most of their time threatening war on the outside world while trying to develop nuclear arms to use should those conflicts …
Post-’Samba’ Brazil More Likely to Win than to Entertain
Brazil, in dispatching North Korea 2-1 on Tuesday, made clear that we should not expect to see “samba soccer” at World Cup 2010 — and not only because the players couldn’t possibly hear their fans’ traditional rhythm section above the drone of the vuvuzelas. Dunga’s team may have some supremely gifted players — none more so, on the …
Live Blog: Ivory Coast vs. Portugal
The hopes of a nation can now rest on a protective cast. The Ivory Coast’s — and TIME 100 cover star – Didier Drogba has been given special clearance by FIFA to wear it on his broken right arm for his side’s group game against Portugal. Reason enough to live blog this massive match!
Away from the Hermit Kingdom, North Korea Faces the World
Every World Cup needs its mystery team, usually a side of minnows few know very much about — in 2006, the “Soca Warriors” of Trinidad & Tobago played that role with cuddly, heart-warming gusto. It’s a bit harder to attach that sort of sentiment to North Korea, whose dictatorial regime is one of the most alienated and vilified in the …
How to Pick Your World Cup Nation: Look at Its Carbon Emissions
Choosing a World Cup squad to support can be a complicated task, particularly for those, like yours truly, whose country didn’t qualify for the 32-team tournament (India is absent, and will remain so till time immemorial). One nation may play an exciting brand of football, but its leading star could be a contemptible cheat. Or …
World Cup: Security Problems Already?
Four days before the World Cup kicks off, the unedifying spectacle of football officials and policemen blaming each other for a dangerous stampede outside a friendly Nigeria-North Korea match at Ekurhuleni, near Johannesburg, is a little worrying for any fan arriving in South Africa. Reports from the scene say between 15-20 spectators …
