North Korea hires fans to cheer for its soccer team. U.S. ties Slovenia thanks to a moronic call by referee.
Imagine being hired to follow your favorite baseball team around the country. You’ll be given free tickets, free transportation, and free team merchandise. Your one job: cheer hard and cheer loud.
For lucky Chinese fans, this dream has become a reality—all thanks to the North Korean Propaganda Machine, which is taking its operation overseas to the World Cup.
According to several news sources, since real North Koreans either can’t afford or aren’t allowed to leave the country, Chinese soccer fans have been contracted by the Beijing bureau of the North Korean Sports Committee to cheer for their neighbor to the east. And these aren’t just any fans off the street; a number of those hired are seasoned veterans of the World Cup circuit who know how to play the part. As the Xinhua News Agency reports:
Among the 1,000 Chinese fans given tickets by North Korea for the World Cup in South Africa are actors and musicians who have cheered for China in previous World Cups
The “professional fans,” decked out in identical red and blue outfits, have zealously supported their new squad, who qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1966.
This past Tuesday, the DPRK Dream Team played perennial powerhouse Brazil, managing to actually put up a pretty good fight—they held Brazil scoreless in the first half, before eventually succumbing by a final score of 2-1.
With the loss, any advancement beyond pool play is highly unlikely (aside from Brazil, North Korea must play Portugal and the Ivory Coast). Still, there’s always the distinct chance that a month from now, while the rest of the world watches Brazil, Italy, or Spain explode in celebration of a World Cup triumph, “Dear Leader” Kim Jung-il will broadcast an announcement over state radio declaring North Korea the victors of the World Cup. In a country with fake cities, a leader who shot 38 under par his first time golfing, and state mandated hair length, no propaganda spin can be deemed too bizarre.
•In other soccer news, the U.S. team just got robbed of a victory in its game against Slovenia. With its 2-2 tie, the Americans need to win their match next week against Algeria to move on. Deadspin has the scenarios.