Five-time World Cup winners Brazil opened their campaign in Group G with a workmanlike win over the Asian minnows and despite an attacking line-up boasting Kaka and Robinho, the South Americans had to work hard in the face of some dogged defending from the tireless North Koreans.
“I believe the first match is always trying, there was a lot of nervousness and anxiety out there,” said Dunga. “We all want to score and not concede any goals. I am not entirely happy with the result, we weren’t passing as quickly as I would have liked. But the spirit of these players is strong and they are willing to learn.”
North Korea’s midfielder Ji Yun-Nam prompted his coach Kim Jong-Hun to leap about in excitement as he beat Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar in the 89th minute.
“The fact that my players scored a goal against a strong team like Brazil gives me a lot of pleasure,” said Kim. “We didn’t win but we gained valuable experience. We’re going to be more confident, we want to win our remaining games and get through to the knockout stage.” Ji now holds the distinction of scoring North Korea’s first goal at a World Cup after more than four decades. “I’m very happy to have scored our country’s first goal in this World Cup,” said Ji.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 17th, 2010.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ