By John Duerden

It has been a very big weekend for North Korean football. The U16 team came from behind to defeat South Korea 2-1 on Saturday to win Asia’s Under-16 championship.

It was an impressive performance — and there may be more. At the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, the U23 team also has the makings of a good team.

In the weeks before the tournament, Pyongyang disappointed the 17th Asian Games organizers by going back on plans to send 350 female cheerleaders. During the 2003 Daegu Student Games, a similar group of fans made headlines at home and overseas.

North Korea’s football team may not be quite as glamorous or mysterious as the women’s team, who visited the South 11 years ago, but this men’s squad has the potential to make a big impact.

Little is known about what goes on in the North, but it is safe to say that winning gold in one of Asia’s biggest Asian sporting events is already a big accomplishment. The North’s women’s team has been a force in world football for some time and is living up to its reputation as a favorite to win gold.

While the men’s team is not considered a favorite, it has already advanced to the second round and is preparing to go further against either Indonesia or Thailand. The 2-0 win over Pakistan on Thursday was expected, especially after Pakistan was reduced to 10 men in the first half.

What was impressive, however, was the North’s 3-0 win was over China in the opening game. The Middle Kingdom may be one of the continent’s biggest underachievers so far, but made the short journey across the Yellow Sea with a decent roster and with reasonable hopes of a good outing. Yet the Chinese quickly learned that the Pyongyang national team could be a serious contender.

The Chinese media agreed that their team was outplayed and that North Korea deserved the win. Chinese coach Fu Bo praised the opposition for its good teamwork and skills. He blamed simple errors for his team’s defeat. However, the North forced many of these errors. The Chinese coach praised the North players’ strong awareness of where teammates were at any time, and for sticking closely to the game plan.

When looking at the big picture, North Korea has posted average results in youth tournaments. The country has talented players, but not having a professional league limits players’ opportunities to reach their potential. There is also an unwillingness to send players overseas, which also limits their growth.

However, there is hope for North Korean football, as Jong Il-gwan has been getting much recognition. The speedy striker first turned heads at the 2010 Asian U19 Championship. His hat-trick during the final when the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) defeated Australia opened many eyes. His performance at the championships was just one reason the then-teenager received the 2010 Asian Young Player of the Year award.

He is now in the U23 team, mobile and looking as good as ever. There have been rumors linking him to him to European clubs in the past. Another strong performance at these games, and it would be no surprise if such rumors resurface soon.

So Kyoung-jin has also scored two goals in the past two games. Compared to previous national teams, there is a lot more firepower in this squad.

Against weaker teams, the North has been willing to take the initiative, but it remains to be seen what will happen later in the tournament when the North faces much stronger opposition, although Indonesia or Thailand may not provide such a tough test.

Compared to the South, however, the North tends to be more pragmatic, happy to “park the bus” in front of its goal, keep the game close and to decide the result on penalty shootouts. But as they say, a win is a win no matter how you get it.

It is too early to talk of another all-Korean final, but it is not impossible. A potential match pitting the two Koreas would be a game for the ages.

John Duerden writes for the Guardian, BBC Radio 5, ESPN, World Football magazine and the Associated Press. He also contributes to the New York Times and the Daily Telegraph. He can be reached at john.duerden@gmail.com.

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