INCHEON: North Korea’s footballers dismantled China 3-0 Monday as they got off to a rousing start at the Incheon Asian Games cheered on by fans waving the Korean Unification Flag.
Goals from Sim Hyon-Jin, So Kyong-Jin and Ri Hyok-Chol gave North Korea’s men an easy win as the large delegation from across the militarized border tasted its first competition.
North Korea is flying in more than 250 athletes for the Asian Games, at which the usually reclusive state will hope to excel for the sake of its sports-loving leader, Kim Jong-Un.
With football underway before Friday’s opening ceremony, the group game drew fans holding the blue-and-white Unification Flag as well as others with North Korea’s colors.
The North Koreans were frequently allowed to run at China and they went ahead in the 10th minute at Incheon Football Stadium when Sim arrowed a shot past goalkeeper Fang Jingqi.
So Hyon-Uk’s close-range shot deflected off Fang and on to the crossbar, and Sim ran into the box but fired over as North Korea enjoyed a commanding first half.
So Kyong-Jin doubled their advantage on 57 minutes when, receiving the ball on the edge of the box, he had time and space to pick his spot.
North Korea made it three when Ri was played in with a neat ball through the defense — and with Fang exposed, he gobbled up the chance.
North Korea’s visit is sensitive and organizers have removed all national flags from Incheon’s streets, fearful they may be a target for anti-Pyongyang protesters.
Later, Japan’s all-conquering “Nadeshiko” got off to a slow start in the women’s competition when they were held to a 0-0 by three-time winners China.
Coach Norio Sasaki displayed a face like thunder as Japan, whose women are the world, Asian and defending Asiad champions, couldn’t find a way past China’s “Steel Roses.” Among other results, Vietnam’s men swamped Iran 4-1, Ferdinand Sinaga hit four as Indonesia ran riot in a 7-0 rout of tiny East Timor, UAE routed Indian 5-0, Bangladesh edged past Afghanistan 1-0 and Uzbekistan held Hong Kong 1-1.
North Korea off to flying start in soccer
North Korea off to flying start in soccer
Russell, Antonelli lead Mercedes in one-two qualifying positions for F1’s Australian GP
- Russell topped all three sessions in F1’s knockout qualifying format, finally casting aside questions of where Mercedes team was in the new-era pecking order
MELBOURNE: Mercedes has revealed its dominant hand during qualifying for Sunday’s Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
George Russell earned his ninth-career pole position Saturday ahead of his teammate Kimi Antonelli for the team’s 83rd front-row lockout and its first since the 2024 British Grand Prix.
Russell topped all three sessions in F1’s knockout qualifying format, finally casting aside questions of where Mercedes team was in the new-era pecking order. His pole time, at 1 minute, 18.518 seconds, was almost eight-tenths faster than the nearest non-Mercedes challenger, Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar, who completed the top three.
“It was a great day, we knew there was a lot of potential in the car, but until we get to this first Saturday of the season, you never know,” Russell said. “But it really came alive this afternoon, especially when the track temperatures cooled, we know we tend to favor those conditions.”
Antonelli was relieved to have made it onto the front row alongside his teammate after a crash in final practice at the exit of turn two meant it was a race in the Mercedes garage to get him out for qualifying.
“It’s been a very stressful day. Unfortunately, I went into the wall (in FP3),” he said. “But the guys (in the garage) were the heroes today to put the car back on track.”
Hadjar was impressive by qualifying third on debut for Red Bull, his highest-ever grid position.
“The only thing I can do is take them at the start, but they’re just too fast at the moment,” Hadjar said of Mercedes. “I want to keep my position and a second podium would be cool.”
Ferrari showed it’s neck-and-neck with McLaren on pace, with just one and a half tenths seconds covering the four drivers just beyond the top-three — with Charles Leclerc qualifying fourth, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in fifth and sixth respectively, and Lewis Hamilton in seventh.
Racing Bulls showed they’ve taken a step forward over the winter, with New Zealander Liam Lawson eighth ahead of his highly-rated rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad.
The big surprise of the session came from four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen, who triggered red flags at Melbourne’s Albert Park after he lost control of his Red Bull car in braking for turn one in the first half of Q1 and ended in the barriers.
The Dutchman, who was unhurt from the crash, though upset that his brakes locked up, will now start from the back of the grid.
F1 heads into a new era this year, with unprecedented changes across the chassis (car) and power unit, which now feature an almost 50:50 output split between the turbo 1.6-liter V6 engine and electrical energy harvested from the brakes, one that requires a new, often counterintuitive driving style from the drivers.
