A soccer match like no other

World Cup qualifier in North Korea played in empty stadium

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s national soccer team described their World Cup qualifier against North Korea in Pyongyang as a “rough” match played under strange conditions that may be raised with FIFA.

The historic match ended in a scoreless draw Tuesday at huge Kim Il Sung Stadium, which was empty of spectators. The match was also under a media blackout, and the South Koreans first spoke to journalists about the playing conditions upon their return to Seoul on Thursday.

“The opponents were very rough, and there were moments when very abusive language was exchanged,” striker Son Heung-min said.

The team’s general manager Choi Young-il said the South Korean soccer association, known as KFA, will discuss whether to submit a complaint to FIFA over what he described as North Korea’s failure to properly accommodate the visiting team and decision to block media and spectators.

North Korea kept out South Korean media and spectators and refused a live broadcast from the stadium.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino also attended the match, and on Tuesday issued a statement saying he was “disappointed to see there were no fans in the stands.”

“We were surprised by this and by several issues related to its live broadcast and problems with visas and access for foreign journalists,” Infantino said.

Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency published only a brief match report, saying the “game of attacks and counterattacks ended in a draw 0:0.”

North Korea did provide a DVD recording of the match to South Korean soccer officials, but South Korean TV channel KBS canceled plans to broadcast the game on tape delay because of the video’s quality, according to the broadcaster and KFA.

“We probably won’t get another video from North Korea,” said Park Jae-sung, a KFA official, adding the video was unfit for South Korea’s high-definition TV services

The North had been expected to have a unique home advantage in the 50,000-capacity stadium devoid of South Korean fans, but South Korean players and soccer officials were surprised to realize there would be no home crowd support, either.

Son said it was regrettable that South Korea, which has a stronger team on paper, couldn’t return with three points, but admitted that their opponents’ physical play got into the players’ heads.

Choi, a former defender who played for South Korea during the 1994 World Cup held in the United States, said the North Koreans played like they were “waging a war,” violently swinging their elbows and hands and driving into their opponents knee first when competing for balls in the air.

“I have never seen something like this in soccer before,” he said.

South Korean players and staff stayed at a hotel that appeared to have no other guests, Choi said.

The game was the first competitive meeting between the national men’s teams in the North Korean capital, although the North hosted the South in a friendly in 1990.