Is the US so bad at football (soccer)….

The US woman team defeated North Korea team in their start for the world cup.

North Korea’s reason for the lost was….The team was struck by lightning!

Only the wrath of God (or gods) could allow the US team a changes for victory.

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/North-Korea-blames-loss-to-U-S-on-players-getti?urn=sow-wp2852

Oh wow, I'll have to remember that excuse... the next time I fail at something I'll just say I was struck by lightning a couple of days earlier.

Plausible excuses are a life-and-death necessity in North Korean sport.

Losing sides have been known to find themselves doing life sentences in "re-education" camps.

I think it's a shame North Korea are still allowed to play international sports. There are many reported cases of their sportsmen being physically punished for losing.

I feel sorry for the North Korean players, whether that lightning story is true or not. It also sucks when you're never allowed to lose and are always expected to make excuses and justify yourself.

Anyway, grats to the U.S. team! :)

Slight off-topic, but N-Korea did play very well against Brazil in the last world cup. I was impressed.

Edit. Men's football, that is

This is an unfair match-up. The North Koreans are basically starving and demoralized. The Americans are fit, well-rested, and they don't have to worry about being sent off to a labour camp.

i do doubt that players are starved. and don't you think a possibility of being sent to labour camp is a strong motivator?

Their athletes get star treatment so long as they win. But an extreme penalty for losing is hardly an effective motivator. You cannot play well if you are forced to play in fear of making a mistake.

I remember they did well in World Cup 2006 or 2010, i don't remember.

They're still better from Polish national team.They would stil kick Polish national team asses hard.

I seem to remember their Government banning the broadcast of their matches at the last World Cup; or did I just invent that?

The US women's team is one of the dominant international teams (2 World Cups, 3 Olympic gold medals, 6 CONCACAF Gold Cups, no finishes worse than third since 1991). North Korea played well in holding them to two goals, especially if so many players were incapacitated as the coach claimed.

Since the Polish women's team has never qualified for a major event, you are probably right in observing that North Korea would clean their clocks.

I remember during the lead up to the last world cup, the BBC comparing the national attitudes towards the US and the English teams. Where both teams pretty much always suck, but for some reason the English seem to continually think they'll do well the next time, despite all the evidence to the contrary, and the repeated heartbreak.

As opposed to around here where we're pretty pleased if we aren't eliminated in the first round.

You didn't, see cjrgreen's post. They banned the Brazil game, then after a surprise draw, they broadcast the portugal game, and everyone saw them lose 7 - 0. The team were then publicly humiliated for 6 hours.