Monthly Archives: luglio 2014

Coppa Est-Asiatica: è Guam la regina della prima fase

Come ormai consuetudine è Guam la nazionale che si qualifica nella prima fase della Coppa Est-Asiatica organizzata dall’East Asian Football Federation (EAFF). Nel 2008 superò nei playoff le Isole Marianne Settentrionali, mentre nel 2010 e nel 2013 vinse il gironcino con Mongolia, Macao e Marianne Settentrionali.
La prima fase della competizione, che si svolgerà nella sua fase finale in Cina nel 2015, vedeva di fronte nuovamente le stesse contendenti. Le gare si sono svolte nel nuovissimo Guam Football Association National Training Center, tra il 21 luglio e il 25 luglio.

I Matao, come è chiamata la nazionale di Guam, partivano con i favori del pronostico potendo contare su due vere e proprie stelle a questi livelli: il capitano Jason Cunliffe e l’esterno dei San Diego Flash Ryan Guy, un californiano di origine Chamorro, il popolo indigeno che vive a Guam. Guam, dopo aver esordito con uno 0-0 contro Macao, ha steso la Mongolia (2-0, doppietta per Guy) e le Isole Marianne Settentrionali (5-0, Matkin, Guy, Lopez, Nickaw, Mariano).
Delusione invece dalla Mongolia, che poteva schierare per la prima volta nella sua storia un calciatore professionista Murun Altankhuyag, che gioca nel Krabi FC, nella seconda divisione tailandese. Dopo la vittorie sulle Isole Marianne Settentrionali (4-0, Munkh Erdene, Soyol Erdene, Murun, Bilegtii) è incappata nella sconfitta per 3-2 contro Macao nell’ultima giornata.

Macao, che grazie alla vittoria sulla Mongolia arriva nel punto più alto del ranking FIFA dal 2011, risalendo di ben 17 posizioni, ha mancato la possibilità di passare il turno perdendo clamorosamente contro le Isole Marianne Settentrionali per 2-1 nella seconda giornata, regalando così agli isolani la prima vittoria ufficiale su un campo targato FIFA. A firmare la vittoria, in rimonta (dopo il gol di Pang Chi Hang), ci hanno pensato il veterano trentaseienne Nicholas Swaim e Kirk Schuler a segnare di testa i due gol del trionfo.
Ryan Guy (nella foto) è stato votato miglior giocatore del torneo e ha vinto il titolo di capocannoniere, con 3 reti.

Questa la classifica finale:
Guam 7 punti
Macao 4 punti
Mongolia 3 punti
Isole Marianne Settentrionali 3 punti

La prossima fase si giocherà a Taiwan, tra l’11 e il il 18 novembre.
Si scontreranno i padroni di casa, Hong Kong, Guam e la Corea del Nord, favorita a passare il turno. A differenza dell’edizione del 2013 non si è iscritta l’Australia. Chi vincerà la seconda fase giocherà la fase finale in Cina, prevista tra luglio ed agosto del 2015 con le selezioni di Cina, Corea del Sud e Giappone.

AFC President’s Cup

Sorteggiati i gironi finali:
Girone A
Sri Lanka Air Force
HTTU Aşgabat
Manang Marshyangdi Club

Girone B
Sheikh Russel
Rimyongsu
Erchim

Le gare del girone B al Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo
20 September 2014 Erchim v Sheikh Russel
2 September 2014 Rimyongsu v Erchim
24 September 2014 Sheikh Russel v Rimyongsu

La finale si giocherà il 26 settembre al Sugathadasa Stadium di Colombo.

CPRK Spokesman Urges S. Korean Authorities Not to Miss Opportunity for Improving North-South Relations

CPRK Spokesman Urges S. Korean Authorities Not to Miss Opportunity for Improving North-South Relations

Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) — The news that Marshal Kim Jong Un personally guided a match for examining the men’s football of the National Sports Team to take part in the 17th Asian Games sparked off a big splash at home and abroad.
He said that the participation of the DPRK’s sportspersons in the games would serve as an important occasion in improving the relations between the north and the south and defusing distrust and that they should positively contribute to promoting reconciliation and unity of fellow countrymen through the games. All Koreans keenly realize his firm will for reunification and noble patriotism through these meaningful words.
The decision made to send a players group and cheerleading squad to the games reflects the noble intention to rev up the atmosphere of the event to be hosted by fellow countrymen and make the games serve as an important occasion in improving the north-south relations and defusing distrust even though the situation remains tense and confrontation grows acute.
A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK) in a statement Wednesday said that the DPRK is speeding up the preparations, expecting that the games would be more enlivened with the participation of the DPRK’s players group and cheerleading squad and that they would greatly contribute to mending the stalled north-south ties and promoting national reconciliation and unity.
At the recent working-level talks the DPRK advanced the most realistic and reasonable proposals with due consideration into the present situation of the north-south relations while complying with the international practice over such technical matters as the scope of players group and cheerleading squad, travel course, means of transport, accommodation and cheering.
As for the expenses for stay, we even envisaged using our own ship and letting it anchor in Inchon Port for lodging and boarding to lessen the burden of the south side.
Only to find fault with the participation of the DPRK players group and cheerleading squad in the games and argue each other, wasting time without elementary understanding of the good faith of the DPRK and its efforts cannot but be viewed as a shameless act of inviting criticism and disgrace from public at home and abroad.
If the north and the south continue finding fault each other over trifling issues at a time when the relations between the two sides are at the lowest ebb, it will never be possible for them to unravel even one of the so many tangled knots.
If there happens such an abnormal situation where the DPRK’s players group and the cheerleading squad are unable to take part in the games to be held in Inchon, an area close to the Military Demarcation Line, this will leave an indelible disgrace to the Koreans and all generations to come.
No one should make such dishonest attempt to misuse the pure sports activities for meeting political purposes.
Growing stronger in the country are expectation and interest of the people in the players group and cheerleading squad which are to take part in the games amid the sports enthusiasm that sweeps across the country.
The south Korean authorities should neither miss the golden opportunity for mending the north-south relations nor cast doubt as to the sincere will of the DPRK to take part in the games to contribute to national reconciliation and unity.
They should not try to judge it with a hostile conception.
We will patiently approach the issue of sending the players group and cheerleading squad to the games from the viewpoint of actively contributing to achieving reconciliation and unity of the fellow countrymen and promoting friendship and peace among various countries in Asia and the rest of the world.

Pyongyang Int’l Football School

Pyongyang, July 22 (KCNA) — It is one year since the Pyongyang International Football School, built on scenic Rungna Islet in Pyongyang, began its operation.
In the period the school improved its educational and living environment.
A geothermal heating system was introduced, with more advanced educational equipment and apparatuses supplemented. Dietary meals are served to the schoolers in keeping with their ages and physical and health conditions.
Educational subjects and hours were instituted to suit the features of a professional sports school. Its instructors are winners of the title of Merited Athlete or experienced persons with coach career.
The school, divided into primary, junior and senior classes, has paid big efforts to raising its enrollees’ command of foreign languages and deepening their knowledge of mathematics. Meanwhile, its students have striven to acquire advanced football techniques on the basis of analysis into international matches.
The school took the title at the soccer tournament of the 51st National Games of Juvenile Sports Schools.
Making debut at the 3rd International Children’s Invitation Football Tournament held in China this March, the school teams (U-11, U-13) won two trophies and the titles of best player and top scorer.
Principal Hyon Chol Yun told KCNA that school would do its best to raise the country’s football to the world’s level.

Kim Jong Un Guides Match for Examining Men’s Football of National Sports Team

Kim Jong Un Guides Match for Examining Men’s Football of National Sports Team

    Pyongyang, July 20 (KCNA) —

Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army, guided a match for examining the men’s football of the National Sports Team which will take part in the 17th Asian Games.

    The National Sports Team played the match with the Jebi Team.

It trounced its rival 12:0.

Kim Jong Un expressed satisfaction over the fact that the men’s footballers of the National Sports Team fully displayed high football technique, mental power and persevering fighting spirit and had a photo taken with them.

The men’s footballers of the National Sports Team have conducted good training to take part in the games, he said.

Great are expectations and interest of our people in the games, he said, adding: “Sports persons should take part in the games and give full play to the noble spirit of sports, the stamina of the nation and the spirit of fair play and thus positively contribute to promoting reconciliation and unity of fellow countrymen, friendship and peace with various countries of the world.”

“The participation of the DPRK’s players in the 17th Asian Games offers an important occasion in improving the relations between the north and the south and removing distrust between them”, he said, adding “it is our principled stand that the inviolable sports should not be a political bargaining chip of the undesirable forces”.

He expressed expectation and conviction that sports persons of the DPRK including the men’s footballers of the National Sports Team who will take part in the games would put greater spurs to training.

Among the spectators were Choe Ryong Hae and Kim Yang Gon, secretaries of the C.C., the WPK, Hwang Pyong So, Ri Yong Gil, Hyon Yong Chol and other commanding officers of the KPA.

Inter-Korean Working-level Talks Held

Panmunjom, July 17 (KCNA) — Working-level talks between the DPRK Olympic Committee and the organizing committee of the south side for the 17th Asian Games were held at Panmunjom Thursday as regards the issue of participation of players group and cheerleading squad of the DPRK in the games.
At the talks the DPRK side clarified once again its decision to send its players group and cheerleading squad to the games slated to take place in Inchon and advanced reasonable proposals concerning the scope of the players group and the cheerleading squad, their travel by air and overland and necessary transport means, sports matches and cheering activities, issue of their safety, communications and news coverage by DPRK media persons, etc.
It warned that the south side’s act of politicizing the dispatch of the cheerleading group, spreading wild rumor that it is “a squad for political operation against the south” and it would create “conflict in the south”, may seriously affect their participation in the games.
The south side said it welcomed the DPRK’s participation in the games, expressing the expectation that the current talks would be successfully held to settle all issues satisfactorily and smoothly.
It noted that the issues raised by the north side could be successfully solved in a positive manner through consultation at the talks as there were precedents of the 14th Pusan Asian Games and the 22nd Taegu Universiad.
The south side which had responded to the proposal of the DPRK side at the morning talks as seen above made an abrupt U turn in the afternoon at the instruction of Chongwadae and took a challenging approach towards it.
The south side delayed 2 hours and 15 minutes the afternoon talks under the pretext of getting an instruction though they had been scheduled to resume at 2:00 p.m. After coming to the negotiating table so late, it made absurd assertions that “it is necessary to follow international practice” and “the scope of the delegation is too big”, overturning all what it said at the morning talks.
It took issue with the scope of the cheerleading squad and the size of the flag of the DPRK, talking about “feelings in the south side” and claiming “it is hard to ensure personal safety.” It went the lengths of disallowing even the big size not only of the flag of the DPRK but also of the Korean peninsula flag.
Afterwards, it went so mean as to talk about paying one’s own expenses, after raising the issue of expenses for the players group and the cheerleading squad which the DPRK side has never mentioned.
When the DPRK side strongly accused the south side of behaving so ridiculously over the above-said issues, the south side remained tongue-tied and only repeated its unreasonable assertions, behaving more recklessly.
The DPRK side branded such attitude of the south side as a deliberate act to bring the working-level talks to a rupture and prevent the DPRK from taking part in the games. It clarified that if the south side insists on such defiant attitude, it will fundamentally reexamine its participation in the games and that the issue of its participation in the games entirely depends on the attitude of the south side.
Consequently, the hard-won north-south working-level talks failed to reach any agreement and broke down without setting the date for the next round of the talks due to the south side’s unreasonable attitude and provocations.

DPRK & S. Korea meet on DPRK’s participation in Asian Games

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and South Korea have started working-level talks on the DPRK’s participation in the upcoming Asian Games, to be hosted by South Korea.

Three-member delegations from both sides began the meeting at 10 am today, in the truce village of Panmunjom. The two sides are expected to discuss a number of issues, including transporting the large DPRK sports delegation, estimated at 400 to 600 people, and paying for its accommodations. Pyongyang said in late May that it would send some 150 athletes and coaches, along with a large cheering squad.

http://english.cntv.cn/2014/07/17/VIDE1405572122234387.shtml

Coppa Est-Asiatica 2015

Turno preliminare (21-27 giugno a Guam)
Guam
Mongolia
Macao
Isole Marianne Settentrionali

Secondo turno preliminare (11-18 novembre a Taipei)
Taiwan
Hong Kong
DPR KOREA
Vincente Turno preliminare

Girone finale (giugno o agosto 2015)
Giappone
Cina
Sud Corea
Vincente secondo Turno preliminare

Calendario altre competizioni:
14 settembre – 3 ottobre: Giochi Asiatici ad Incheon
6-20 settembre: AFC U16 (Uzbekistan, Kuwait, RPDC, Nepal)
9-23 otttobre: AFC U19 (Iraq, RPDC, Qatar, Oman)
9-31 gennaio: Coppa d’Asia (Uzbekistan, Arabia Saudita, RPDC, Cina)