U.S. Women’s soccer team has “mysterious” opponent in North Korea

Regardless of sport, coaches like to prepare for their opponent by watching film. For the United States women’s soccer team, getting tape for their World Cup opener wasn’t exactly easy. The North Korean women’s team has officially played only five times in the last six months. On top of that, they have a young team with several players who don’t have any international experience.

Are the U.S. players worried? Probably not. The top ranked team in the world is 3-0 against DPRK in World Cup play. But recent games in the U-20 suggest that it’s only a matter of time before that gap is made up.

The Americans have played North Korea three times, all at the World Cup. The U.S. dominated the first two meetings, winning each game 3-0. But North Korea has made it a priority to improve its teams, and the results are beginning to show.

At the 2007 World Cup, the Americans went down 2-1 before Heather O’Reilly scored to salvage a draw. The North Koreans won the under-20 title in 2006 and were runners-up — to the Americans — two years later. They also have won three of the last five Asian titles.

By the way, if you want a name to look out for during World Cup play this year from the American side, it’s Alex Morgan. She’ll probably be coming off the bench for the first few games, but has the game to be a star some day on the international stage.

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Just a few months back, in a must-win game for the U.S. in World Cup qualifiers, Morgan scored an important goal against Italy. She’s also a rising star in the WPS (Women’s Professional Soccer) for the Western New York Flash. Yea, and I won’t lie, it also helps that she’s mildly attractive.

U.S. women know little about North Korea [LVRJ]

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