North Koreans Fail Drug Test at World Cup and Await Fate at Home

The North Korean team knows no boundaries when it comes to trying to pick up a win at the women's World Cup.  Two defenders, Song Jong Sun and Jong Pok Sim, were suspended for Wednesday's match against Columbia after testing positive for banned substances

Both players tested positive after North Korea's first two group games.

It hasn't been a very good time for the two players.  Last week the team claimed they were struck by lightning and now, they face the wrath of their people and Kim Jong-il.

North Korea was eliminated from the World Cup without scoring a goal.  Besides a 2-0 loss to the U.S., the North Koreans lost 1-0 to Sweden before the 0-0 draw with Columbia.

In an unprecedented move, the remaining 19 members of the North Korean team were subjected to a doping test according to FIFA.  The banned substance was not identified by FIFA.

Theo Zwanginger, president of the German Football federation (DFB), was harsh in his criticism of the North Korean squad.

"This incident underlies the impression of the inhumane system in North Korea, where attempts are made to give success to athletes by any means," he said.  "Success which can be used for government propaganda."

The testing of the team was coordinated with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which states "whenever more than one member of a team has been notified of a anti-doping rule violation, the ruling body for the competition shall conduct appropriate target testing of the team."

Last week, after the loss to the U.S. squad, North Korea manager, Kwang Min Kim, blamed the defeat on a lighting strike to a group of his players in North Korea.

"During training, our players were hit by lightning and more than five of them were hospitalized," he said.  "The goalkeeper and four defenders were most affected."

Kim strategically waited until after the loss to lay blame on Mother Nature.  There was no way to verify the weather conditions in the Fatherland during the alleged incident.

The team hastily flew out of Germany Thursday morning, but who knows what fate awaits the team when they return to North Korea.

Last year, after the North Korean men's team was outscored 12-0 at the World Cup, the players were forced onto a stage at the People's Palace of Culture and shamed in front of 400 journalists and students during a "six-hour barrage of criticism"  as penance for their presumed less-than-world-class play.

These poor women are probably looking at lightning striking once again.

Prediksi Paraguay Vs Spanyol

Setelah 12 tahun absen, Paraguay kembali ke putaran final Piala Dunia di Prancis 1998 dengan penampilan kiper penuh inspirasi, Jose Luis Chilavert. Kini, penjaga gawang yang sering mencetak gol ini sudah pensiun dari karir sepakbolanya.Paraguay selalu menikmati reputasinya di sepakbola Amerika Selatan. Mereka punya lini pertahanan yang solid, kemampuan membaca permainan yang tinggi dan aliran

Prediksi Belanda vs Brazil

VsPrediksi Belanda vs Brasil. Brasil, tampaknya boleh berbangga hati. Pasalnya, selain meraih gelar juara Piala Dunia terbanyak, tim berjulukan “Selecao” ini juga didukung oleh mayoritas penduduk dunia. Data Nielsen menunjukkan, sebanyak 39 persen penduduk di seluruh dunia mendukung tim Brasil. Presentase ini merupakan yang tertinggi di antara 31 tim lainnya. “Sebanyak 39 persen secara

Profil Kesebelasan Paraguay

Kemampuan Paraguay untuk finish di urutan ketiga klasemen kualifikasi Piala Dunia 2010 Afrika Selatan Zona Amerika Latin dengan 33 poin, atau hanya kalah satu angka dari Brasil di puncak, menunjukkan bahwa kekuatan Paraguay memang pantas diperhitungkan tim-tim favorit lainnya. Paraguay selalu menikmati reputasinya di sepakbola Amerika Selatan. Mereka punya lini pertahanan yang solid,

Prediksi Jerman Vs Inggris

VsJerman dan Inggris akan bertemu dalam laga Piala Dunia yang paling panas dalam babak 16 besar Piala Dunia 2010. Dua tim legendaris dunia ini tidak bisa mengelak dalam pertandingan babak kedua ini. Pertemuan ini akan paling bergensi di antara pertandingan dalam 16 besar Piala dunia Afrika Selatan.Jerman akan bertemu Inggris pada perdelapan final Piala Dunia 2010. Kepastian itu muncul setelah “

BRASIL FAVORIT JUARA | Profil Kesebelasan Brasil

Brasil, tampaknya boleh berbangga hati. Pasalnya, selain meraih gelar juara Piala Dunia terbanyak, tim berjulukan “Selecao” ini juga didukung oleh mayoritas penduduk dunia. Data Nielsen menunjukkan, sebanyak 39 persen penduduk di seluruh dunia mendukung tim Brasil. Presentase ini merupakan yang tertinggi di antara 31 tim lainnya. “Sebanyak 39 persen secara global percaya Brasil akan menang.

HASIL LENGKAP PENYISIHAN GROUP | JADWAL PERTANDINGAN PIALA DUNIA

Babak Pertama Piala Dunia 2010 sudah berakhir dan kini memasuki babak 16 Besar Piala Dunia 2010, ada beberapa tim unggulan gugur pada babak pertama seperti Italy sebagai juara bertahan dan lawannya waktu final Piala Dunia 2006 yaitu Prancis yang harus pulang kampung terlebih dahulu., itulah istilahnya bola itu bundar dan prediksi piala dunia bisa saja meleset dan Sebagai rakyat Indonesia

PROFIL KESEBELASAN JEPANG

Jepang lolos ke babak 16 besar Piala Dunia sebagai runner-up Grup E setelah mengalahkan Denmark 3-1, Kamis (Jumat dinihari WIB), sementara Belanda tampil sebagai juara grup setelah mencatat kemenangan 2-1 atas Kamerun.Daftar Perolehan Nilai akhir Grup E Piala Dunia FIFA 2010 Tim Main M S K GM GK SG Poin Belanda 3 3 0 0 5 1 +4 9 Jepang 3 2 0 1 4 2 +2 6 Denmark 3 1 0 2 3 6 –3 3

PROFIL KESEBELASAN ITALIA

Jelang laga penentuan melawan Slowakia, pelatih timnas Italia Marcello Lippi berupaya meredakan ketegangan dengan melakukan trik dengan bola. Di depan anggota tim, Lippi menimang bola dan menghentikannya dengan leher selama beberapa detik. Beberapa pemain ikut meniru trik yang dilakukan sang pelatih.Sesi latihan diliput

JERMAN JUARA GROUP D | Profil Tim Jerman

Jerman sukses menggapai ambisinya untuk lolos ke babak 16 besar Piala Dunia 2010 sebagai juara grup, setelah mengalahkan Ghana 1-0 di laga pamungkas grup D. Bertanding di Stadion Soccer City, Johannesburg, Selasa (23/6/2010), Jerman tampil lebih dominan dan mampu menguasai jalannya pertandingan. Jerman nyaris membuat gol,

KORSEL RUNNER UP GROUP B | Profil Lengkap Kesebelasan Korea Selatan

Kapten Korea Selatan Park-Ji Sung sangat bahagia timnya bisa lolos ke babak perdelapan final Piala Dunia 2010. Menurutnya, keberhasilan pertama masuk babak perdelapan final di luar mereka jadi tuan rumah pada Piala Dunia 2002.Keberhasilan "Taeguk Warriors" itu diraih setelah menahan imbang Nigeria 2-2, Selasa (22/6/2010). Tambahan satu poin membuat Park Ji-sung dkk menemani juara grup

PORTUGAL PESTA GOL | Profil Kesebelasan Portugal

Tampil dengan beban yang berat sebagai Pemain terbaik dunia 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo sangat ditunggu aksinya untuk membawa Portugal meraih prestasi tertinggi di ajang paling akbar World Cup 2010 ini, setelah pertandingan pertamanya ditahan imbang 0-0 oleh Pantai Gading.Tetapi tak hanya Ronaldo yang harus diperhatikan. Masih ada Pepe dan Bruno Alves yang sangat disiplin menjaga pertahanan

NOT FEELIN' IT

By Tony Mangia

IS IT



UN-AMERICAN TO HATE USA SOCCER?

I took a few days off--hangover-- after catching the USA/England FIFA World Cup match to collect my feelings. At a west side bar Saturday, I tried to get caught in soccer fever and found myself rooting against the USA. I wasn't supporting England but came to the conclusion that deep down I didn't care and hoped a team from Cameroon or Japan would become the Butler of Cup play but, this time, make the final shot to win. Kim Jong-il already has his version of the Group of Death but, do North Koreans know what a "Cinderella" is?

Every four years, futbol fans come out of the woodwork in this country like Olympic mascots and tight-spandex bicycle outfits during the annual Tour de France. Only in soccer, our country is a mid-level conference team. Kind of like a Cornell in basketball or a Utah football team---high hopes but no chance to win it all---as opposed to the Olympics where we are the Dukes and Floridas.

All the flag waving and red, white and blue painted faces for a sport nobody here really watches otherwise. I wonder if any of these people raised the American symbol of freedom on Flag Day the following Monday? Their colors were probably left outside in the rain Sunday---along with all that patriotism.

Soccer is one sport the U.S. gets...well...kicked around. It's a cult sport in America. Kind of like the show True Blood---rabid fan base to viewers who get HBO. At least in Olympic sports the United States can create a dream team after we get roughed up by foreigners. The U.S. doesn't have enough great players to bully soccer nations like Argentina and France who constantly beat us--although we keep trying in other sports. Remember U.S. dream teams in baseball and hockey who failed to bring home world titles. For god's sake, we are worried about facing Slovenia this Friday---a country with as many people as the borough I live in.

HANGING WITH THE HOOLIGANS

Anyway, back to the bar on Saturday. A couple of things bothered me. All male British soccer fans look like Phil Collins (circa. 80's) with crew cuts on their round bull-dog heads and the women resemble Fergie---not the hot singer but the puffy, Prince of England's drunk, extortionist ex-wife. She'll never make any one's WAGs list.

From what I read in the papers, I thought Washington was ready to cross the Delaware. No, not more conference re-alignment. Headlines warned, The Redcoats are Coming!, and the bar did explode in cheers--not bombs--after England's goal. It was the most soccer fans I ever saw in one place. The English were throwing babies (yes, babies) into the air. It must be a British thing. I was informed (warned?) by the Irish patrons that they did not support England and they hated the French for robbing them of a qualifying berth in the tournament. Basically, they rooted for teams to lose.

SINCE WHEN IS A TIE IS CONSIDERED A WIN?

Then, the Brit's goalie pulled a Bill Buckner. The walls of the pub caved in from the roar. Irish- Red Sox-soccer-fans got a kind of revenge while USA...USA...USA was chanted ad-nausea along with "Beckham, you suck!" The English star wasn't even playing. The final was a 1-1 draw. I heard some fans claim it was "like beating BP." Oh yeah, take that you British oil conglomerate which pollutes OUR waters and all you stand for! Nobody won! It ended in a tie---or level play for the soccer informed. I didn't go that far and only equated it to slapping Simon Cowell.

Soccer to me is flops on the field, crying after a goal and fans singing together. It all sucks. If I ever see a group of Jersey guys cuddling and serenading the Giants--I'll become a Jets fan! I can even take the vuvuzelas that have been irritating so many. Wait until the next U.S. based World Cup is held and the Brazilians, the Dutch and the rest of the world is subjected to the cackling hosts of The View and loud-mouthed American reality stars. After the ear bleeding, fans will be begging for the giant kazoos again.

Now I'm as American as Starbucks. I went to the recent Memorial Day parade, I still hate Brad for dumping Jennifer and I'll catch an occasional Fox News broadcast--why do all the female anchors on Fox make me think of a Hooters restaurant?-- but I'm not going to go out of my way to cheer for a team in a sport I know little about. I only know one USA member's name is Landon Donovan and that equals as many others I know in the whole tournament---and his name is Kaka. Andiamo Italia!

SHORT JABS

Parents of the Year

The Gosselins were like the Yankees of abusive parents until Balloon Boy's mom and dad took the title last year. Jail is probably keeping them out of the tabloids this year. This year's competition is stiff leading off with the 2 year-old chain-smoker's folks in China and the four year-old who swigged Schmidts at a Phillies game but a late entry appeared this week with the announcement that the financially-broke father of Abby Sunderland--the 16 year-old sailor plunked from the Indian Ocean last week--sold the girl's television rights to a---you guessed it---reality show. I don't know how much of a sport yachting is, but to allow a kid---who would be sent to child services for being unattended one night at home--- to spend months alone in perilous seas is unconscionable.

QUICK, GET THE LYSOL!

Two weeks ago, it was a Guinness crocheting record at Citifield and last week it was a basket weaving recording star when Lady GaGa drank beer, stripped down to her bejeweled undies and flipped the bird to fans and photogs. Wow, how rebellious. She claims she's a Yankee fan. Please keep her from the stadium now that Cameron Diaz has denied a relationship with the blond-loving A-Rod.

ABE VIGODA WAS ALREADY BOOKED

The Knicks have lined up a super committee to get in a last ditch effort to recruit LeBron James to New York. They're really pulling out the stops with the most annoying guys in the city; Donald Trump, then Donny Deutsch, Charlie Rose...zzzzzzzzzzz...

2010 FIFA World Cup FINAL DRAW

Demam sepak bola mulai terasa sejak Desember 2009 ini. Pesta olahraga ”2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa ” akan digelar di 9 kota di Afrika Selatan, dari Tanggal 11 Juni sampai 11 Juli 2010.Ini adalah pertama kalinya Afrika menjadi tuan rumah dari sebuah acara Piala Dunia ternama yang merupakan salah satu yang terbesar dan yang paling dinantikan pencinta bola di seluruh dunia. EC Entertainment