DPRK Expected to Advance into Soccer Quarterfinals of Olympiad: Expert
Pyongyang, May 15 (KCNA) — Prof. and Dr. Ri Tong Gyu, a researcher of the Sports Science Institute under the Academy of Sports Science of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, told KCNA that the DPRK women’s team is expected to advance into the soccer quarterfinals in the 30th Olympiad.
The DPRK team belongs to Group C along with Colombian, French and the U.S. rivals, according to the drawing results released on April 24, said the soccer expert.
He further said:
In view of the FIFA’s world ranking, some experts regard Group C as a “group of death”.
Our team is to compete with the Colombian rival for the first match of the group round robin.
Colombia has made a rapid development in women’s football in recent years. Its team includes experienced players who took part in women’s world cups.
The French team, which finished fourth in the 2011 Women’s World Cup, is excellent in individual skill.
The U.S. team guns for its fourth title in the Olympic Games. This team is believed to consist of those players who participated in the matches with our team in 2007 and 2011 Women’s World Cups.
The team as a whole is high in terms of skill, but many of its players are near 30 years of age.
The DPRK team consists of younger players, but it recorded three wins and two draws in five matches at the Asian regional finals for the 30th Olympiad and two wins and one draw in three matches at the China International Women’s Soccer Tournament.
I am sure that our team will advance into the quarterfinals of Olympiad if it displays high spiritual and collective strength in matches.
