Despite their 2-1 loss to Brazil in their opening World Cup match, North Korea is pretty much happy with their performance against world’s no. 1 ranked team Brazil. North Korea may have failed to create another World Cup upset against Brazil, but coach Kim Jong Hun is proud of his players for displaying a good performance.
North Korea returned to World Cup finals after 44 years. They came to South Korea with the hope of emulating their 1966 performance when they defeated mighty Italy 1-0 in a group stage match. On Tuesday, North Korea displayed an excellent defensive play that restricted Brazilians from scoring in the first half.
In the second half, Brazil opened scoring through a superb goal from Maicon. The lead was doubled when Elano scored in the 72nd minute. North Korea decreased the lead when Ji Yun-Nam scored just few minutes before the final whistle.
After the match North Korea coach was happy with the bravery of his players against the five-time world champion Brazil.
North Korea defense was rock solid throughout the match, while they created a number of scoring opportunities from counter attacks. Striker Jong Tae-Se failed to capitalize on couple of good chances. Captain Hong Yong-Jo also had his fair share of missed opportunities.
Though the Brazilians had advantage on height, North Koreans never lacked of stamina and rhythm. Brazil may have won the match and created some opportunities, finishing was a problem for the Samba Kings who would have to raise their overall game if they want to win their 6th World Cup title this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment