＜Japanese Version＞　今夜は女子サッカーの日本代表がサウジアラビアのサッカー場でパリ五輪アジア出場枠２を決める最終段階のゲームが行われるのだが、ＮＨＫがＴＶ放送するらしいから楽しみにしている。アジアサッカーのパリ五輪出場国選出ゲームは、通常は対戦する２国の会場で第１戦、第２戦が行われ今回の第１戦は２月２４日北朝鮮の会場で開催となっていたのだが、北朝鮮は日本国民の入国を認めていないから応援団を送れないことで日本サッカー協会がＦＩＦＡに中立国開催を求めて直前まで揉めていたらしい。それで一昨日サウジアラビア開催がやっと決まり、日本選手団はすぐに出かけたが北朝鮮選手団は昨日午後にサウジアラビアに到着したそうで、時差ぼけなどの弊害や実力を出し切れないであろう選手団を含めて代表チームやサッカー協会、北朝鮮の対戦相手国には大変迷惑を掛けることであり気の毒なことだ。北朝鮮国ではオリンピック代表チームを出せ得る数少ないスポーツなのでもっと気持ちよくゲームが準備できる対応策を考えれば良いのにと思うが、どうも頭が固いようで困った話である。こんなことならパリ五輪アジア出場枠２を決めるゲームには初めから参加するなよと言いたいほどだ。

　＜第２戦後＞　２月２８日夕刻から第２戦が日本の国立競技場で行われ、日本が２－１で勝利しパリ五輪アジア出場を決めたが、これもやや危ない試合で、余裕を持って勝った試合ではなかった。割合簡単にボールを取られてしまうのだ。だからパリ五輪でもベスト４くらいの所かと思う。それにしても会場で赤旗を振る人間が多く見られ、北朝鮮応援団は２万人ほどはいたのではないかと思われるが、その一部は南朝鮮人も多少は入っていた事だろう。

　

　

 

 

＜English Version＞　　　Tonight, the Japan women's soccer team will play the final game to decide the second Asian spot for the Paris Olympics at a soccer field in Saudi Arabia, and I'm looking forward to it because NHK will be broadcasting it on TV. 　　　The first and second matches of the Asian soccer games to select nations for the Paris Olympics are usually held at the venues of the two competing countries, but this time the first match was held on February 24th at a venue in North Korea. 　　　　However, since North Korea does not allow Japanese nationals to enter the country, they are unable to send a cheering squad, and the Japan Football Association appears to have been in contention until the last minute, asking FIFA to host the tournament in a neutral country. 　　　So, the day before yesterday, it was finally decided that the event would be held in Saudi Arabia, and the Japanese team left immediately, but the North Korean team apparently arrived in Saudi Arabia yesterday afternoon, including the players who may be suffering from jet lag and not being able to show their full potential. 　　　This is a shame because it will cause great trouble to the national team, the soccer association, and North Korea's opponent countries. 　　　It's one of the few sports in North Korea that can field an Olympic team, so I wish they could come up with a way to make preparations for the games more pleasant, but it's troubling that they seem so stubborn. 　　　If this is the case, I would like to say that they should not participate in the game to determine the second Asian spot for Olympics.

<Second Game> 　　　The second game was held at Japan's National Stadium on the evening of February 28th, and Japan　Team won 2-1, clinching their place in Asia at the Paris Olympics. 　　　The ball is easily stolen, so I think I'll be in the top four at the Paris Olympics. 　　　Even so, many people could be seen waving red flags at the venue, and there must have been around 20,000 people cheering for North Korea, and some of them were probably South Koreans as well.