The Northern Torpedoes

While North Korea is better known for playing battleships (albeit in reality with South Korean navy vessels) than for playing soccer, it is set to launch its own attack on the World Cup. However, rather than firing torpedoes, it will be launching 11 highly organised, goose-stepping, soldiers otherwise known as the Korea DPR national football team upon Portugal, Cote d'Ivoire, and Brazil.

I think most readers will agree (that's 0 at this stage, but there's no one to disagree either) that North Korea is rather unlikely to beat Brazil. However, given the current run of form of their opponents, they could quite well sneak themselves a place to the second round.

Portugal has eyes only for Cote d'Ivoire, having arranged 3 practice matches all against African teams and none against any Asian team prior to the world cup. An obvious signal of what match they are preparing themselves for. Add to this their poor performance against Cape Verde ranked 117th in the world and you start to question their ability to progress through to the next round. It was miserly 0-0 draw.

Cote d'Ivoire has also failed to impress of late, exiting early from the African Cup of Nations to Algeria in the Quarterfinals this year and then replacing their coach with the failed swede Sven-Goran Eriksson. The appointment is a shock so close to the world cup giving the swede so little time to do what he is renowned for. Losing with all star teams. Maybe it is all part of their secrete plan. Pick a coach who's proven track record it is to make the unfailiable fail, and then not give him enough time to accomplish his task.

All of this seems to be working in the North Koreans favour. And with the Koreans firing warning shots off in the form of two nifty goals against Greece in yesterday's 2-2 draw they look a good chance to pull off what could be the shock of the world cup and and progress to the round of 16. That is provided they don't pull off the shock of the world cup by blowing up any more South Korean boats and get themselves banned from the world cup altogether.