I feel a bit conflicted about this news. The North Korea soccer team qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1966 by playing to a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia and finishing second (or something) in their bracket.
My question is, why is North Korea even allowed to participate, given all the threats their crazy-ass leader is making recently. I mean, he’s basically saying he’s going to start unleashing nukes if other countries try to enforce the latest U.N. sanctions. And don’t forget about the atrocities that the non-military citizens must put up with on a daily basis. Does this sound like a country that should be allowed to participate in a world sporting event? Did Somalia get invited to the party as well?
At the same time, however, I can understand how some people would argue that it’s not the soccer team’s fault that their leader is out of his friggin’ mind. Moreover, politics should probably shouldn’t even be a factor in sporting events anyone. After all, plenty of other countries think American foreign policy sucks, but we’re allowed to play, right? And NK’s opponent in the last match, Saudi Arabia, isn’t exactly a champion of women’s rights.
Oh, well. I guess it’s just easier to focus on soccer alone and forget about everything else.