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North Korea hails ‘fierce’ fight in Brazil match

SEOUL - North Korea’s official media Wednesday praised its team for a “fierce” fight in their first World Cup match for 44 years, complimenting the players for their dogged performance against Brazil.

The North Koreans “created scoring chances without losing faith despite trailing 0-2” until Ji Yun-Nam scored a goal in the 88^th minute, the Korean Central News Agency said, just hours after the game ended in Johannesburg.

“The match was a fierce exchange of offence and defence from the beginning,” it said.

The impoverished communist state received the toughest draw in this year’s cup, landing in Group G with Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal.

But Tuesday’s game between the highest-ranked and the lowest-ranked team proved far from one-sided, with the North Koreans putting up a dogged defence.

The North has been swept by World Cup fever, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper reported this week, with people glued to television sets.

South Korean fans, whose own team got off to a flying start with a 2-0 victory over Greece, heaped praise on the North Koreans in Internet postings.

“I’m shedding tears now. You fought so well,” one wrote on Yahoo! Korea.

“I am so proud of you. We are all Koreans,” another post read.

A third commentator suggested that a unified Korean team could easily advance to the quarterfinals and might even win the cup.

Japan-based North Korean striker Jong Tae Se, plus South Korean striker Lee Chung-Yong and midfielder Park Ji-Sung, would form a dream team, the commentator said.

“Jong Tae Se was so impressive today. He understands football,” the posting read.

The North’s next game is against Portugal on Monday.