North Korea has become one of the worst villains of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games with a string of bad behavior. Opponents of the DPRK are hoping to avoid getting hurt rather than win.
North Korea fell 1-2 to Japan in the men’s soccer quarterfinals of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games at the Xiaoshan Sports Center in Hangzhou, China on Monday (Aug. 1), failing to advance to the quarterfinals.
The game was characterized by North Korea’s rough play and lack of manners. At every opportunity, the North Koreans made rough tackles on Japanese players, including some close calls that could have resulted in serious injuries.
North Korea’s rough play paid dearly. In the 35th minute of the second half, the North Korean goalkeeper knocked over a Japanese player trying to break through. It was a moment that sealed the 1-2 defeat.
After the game ended in defeat, North Korea’s players gathered in a group to protest the referee. They didn’t just protest, they pushed and threatened. Eventually, stadium competition staff jumped in and separated the referee from the players.
There was more. North Korea’s Kim Yoo-sung demanded water from a Japanese staff member who came in to treat an injured player during the match, and then made a hand gesture. The referee gave Kim a warning.레고토토
Japanese netizens reacted with disbelief on Yahoo.com. One commented, “It’s unbelievable for a soccer game, and it’s abnormal to see such rough tackles, pressure, and threats. They have no hesitation in hurting Japanese players,” “It’s a good thing no one got hurt in this game,” “This is an international embarrassment. Shame on you.” He continued to criticize North Korea.
North Korea could face disciplinary action from Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) for threats made to the referee during the match.