Asian Cup Team Profile: DPR Korea

DPR Korea is the lowest ranked of the 16 teams at the AFC Asian Cup 2015 but with mystery surrounding its form it could spring a surprise - despite being the clear outsider in a tough section.

Myong-Guk Ri, North Korea goalkeeper.

Korea DPR goalkeeper and captain Myong-Guk Ri (AAP)

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COACH: JO Tong-sop (DPRK)
CAPTAIN: RI Myong-guk (Pyongyang City)
NICKNAME: Chollima
ASIAN CUP APPEARANCES: 3 (1980, 1992, 2011)
BEST FINISH: Fourth (1980)
FIFA RANKING: 150
AFC RANKING: 25
HOW IT QUALIFIED: Qualified automatically as the 2012 Challenge Cup winner.
RECENT FORM: The side travelled to the Middle East in October/November where it played three internationals, drawing with Bahrain and losing to Kuwait and Qatar before brushing aside Hong Kong and Guam at the EAFF qualifiers in Taipei in November.

MAIN MAN: PAK Song-chol (Rimyongsu)

The 27 year-old is likely to form part of a two-man defensive midfield unit but much of the play – both in attack and defence - goes through the Rimyongsu man.

At the recent EAFF tournament in Taiwan he was the key link for Korea DPR, often dropping deep to pick up the ball from the centre-backs and then pushing on into midfield.

ONE TO WATCH: JONG Il-gwan (Rimyongsu)

Australian football fans will remember Jong from his exploits at the 2010 AFC U-19 Championship where he scored a hat-trick in the final against the Young Socceroos en route to winning the tournament MVP.

Since then he has matured into a key contributor for the senior side and along with Pak Kwang-ryong will be the main source of goals.
OVERVIEW:

One of the most fascinating nations at the tournament. It's hard to get a handle on what this outfit is likely to do with so many home-based players.

Newly appointed coach Jo Tong-sop has opted to select a side relatively light on experience with barely half a dozen of the squad having more than double-digit international appearances, while there were some surprise omissions.

In a squad list that, intriguingly features only 22 players, playmaker Pak Nam-chol is not with the side, neither is Jong Tae-se, reportedly omitted because he plays his club football in Korea Republic.

Style wise, at the recent East Asian Cup the side played an 'old-school' 4-4-2.

Guam's Gary White saw the team up close and believes it has individualse capable of doing damage but that organisationally it is perhaps not as strong as the other nations in this group.

"They are a side which plays with a dated 4-4-2 but they are fluid and flexible and all the midfielders and strikers rotated positions both centrally and in wider areas," White said.

Goalkeeper and captain Ri Myong-guk is an ever-present and Swiss-based right-back Cha Jong-hyok is a highly-rated prospect but it's in midfield where Pak Song-chol is the conduit and further forward where the team's greatest strengths lay.

Forward Jong Il-gwon is a dynamic attacking weapon capable of also playing in one of the wider midfield positions and his likely partner, Swiss-based Pak Kwang-ryong, is also an impressive finisher.

Veteran J.League midfielder Ryang Yong-gi is a deadball specialist and will provide much needed experience to a side that generally likes to play positive, attacking football.

With previous coach Yun Jong-su suspended for a year by the AFC after an outburst at the recent Asian Games, the side's former boss Jo was reinstated and while he knows the squad well the preparation has been limited.

The side hasn't played a match since mid-November and only arrived in Australia five days before its opening match.

No question that it has talented individuals but it's hard to see the Chollima flying like the mythical winged horse its named after and progressing from this group.

PREDICITION: GROUP STAGE

POSSIBLE STARTING LINEUP: 4-4-2

 

FULL SQUAD:

GOALKEEPERS: 1. RI Myong-guk (Pyongyang City); RI Kwang-il (April 25); 22. JU Kwang-min (Rimyongsu)

DEFENDERS: 2. RI Chang-ho (Rimyongsu); 3. JANG Song-hyok (Rimyongsu); 4. JONG Kwang-ik (Amrokgang); 5. HAN Song-hyok (Rimyongsu); 6. RO Hak-su (Rimyongsu); 13. SIM Hyon-jin (April 25); 15. JANG Kuk-chol (Hwaebul); 16. CHA Jong-hyok (Wil 1900/SUI)

MIDFIELDERS: 7. RI Sang-chol (Rimyongsu); 8. RYANG Yong-gi (Vegalta Sendai/JPN); 9. PAK Song-chol (Rimyongsu); 17. SO Hyon-uk (April 25); 19. RI Yong-jik (Tokushima Vortis/JPN); 21. OH Hyok-chol (April 25)

FORWARDS: 10. PAK Kwong-ryong (Vaduz/SUI); 11. JONG IL-GWAN (Rimyongsu); 12. OM Chol-song (April 25); 14. KYE Song-hyok (April 25); 20. CHOE Won (Hwaebul)

GROUP B FIXTURES:


Saturday 10 January 2015
Uzbekistan v DPR Korea, Sydney

Wednesday 14 January 2015
DPR Korea v Saudi Arabia, Melbourne

Sunday 18 January 2015
China v DPR Korea, Canberra


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4 min read
Published 9 January 2015 12:00am
By Scott McIntyre
Source: SBS

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