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Viewing cable 08SHANGHAI134, SOCCER DIPLOMACY IN SHANGHAI

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08SHANGHAI134 2008-04-02 05:40 2011-08-23 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Consulate Shanghai
VZCZCXRO0807
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHGH #0134/01 0930540
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 020540Z APR 08
FM AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6801
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1813
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 1186
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 1157
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 1184
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 1316
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 0996
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0201
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 7345
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SHANGHAI 000134 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM AND INR - CLARKE 
NSC FOR WILDER AND TONG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON SOCI OEXC OIIP KPAO CH KS KN
SUBJECT: SOCCER DIPLOMACY IN SHANGHAI 
 
1. (U) Summary:  In late March 2008, North Korea played South 
Korea in a World Cup Qualifier that ended in a draw. The mostly 
South Korean crowd gave each team a standing ovation at the end 
of the match.  In Early March, the Los Angeles Galaxy played the 
Chinese All-Star team, although Chinese fans seemed more 
interested in David Beckham than the outcome of the game. The 
success of these two international matches offer a preview of 
this summer's Olympics, in which many of the Men's soccer 
qualifying matches will be played in Shanghai.  End Summary. 
 
-------------- 
Korea v. Korea 
-------------- 
 
2. (U) North Korea hosted South Korea in Shanghai for a World 
Cup qualifying match on March 26, at Hongkou Stadium.  In this 
early stage of World Cup competition, teams are put into a group 
with 3 other countries.  Each country hosts the other three 
countries for a match.  North Korea chose to host their match 
with South Korea in Shanghai instead of Pyongyang.  This allowed 
North Korea to avoid the question of whether South Korea could 
fly its flag and play its national anthem.  In Shanghai, both 
anthems were played and both flags flown while crowds cheered 
both teams. 
 
 
3. (U) Although North Korea was nominally the host, South 
Koreans dominated the crowd.  The 35,000 seat stadium was 70 
percent full, with the vast majority of fans cheering for the 
South.  The stadium pulsed with the cheers of "This is 
KoooooREA!" and fans singing lyrics set to Beethoven's "Ode to 
Joy."  After the match, the two sides formed lines to exchange 
handshakes, then both teams took turns bowing to each side of 
the stadium.  The crowd cheered wildly for both teams, giving 
them standing ovations.  The few identifiable North Korean fans 
waved their flags with big smiles, celebrating their triumphant 
draw against the favored South.  The South Korean fans also 
celebrated the chance to see a game that would have been all but 
impossible to attend had it been hosted in Pyongyang. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Beckham's Galaxy vs. China's All-Stars 
-------------------------------------- 
 
4. (U) David Beckham was the star attraction when Major League 
Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy took on an all-star team from 
Shanghai and Hong Kong on March 5.  The crowd chanted Beckham's 
name prior to the game and cheered each time he touched the 
ball.  He did not disappoint, providing early on a crossing pass 
that set up the game's first goal. 
 
5. (U) The game was hosted in the 80,000 seat Shanghai Stadium. 
The stadium, built in 1997, was about half capacity with most 
fans cheering for Beckham first and foremost.  When Beckham was 
finally pulled from the game with 20 minutes remaining, nearly 
the entire crowd headed for the exits, despite the score being 
1-0.  The crowd's exit shows how much brand names matter in 
China.  Following the game there were posters and jerseys of 
Beckham for sale.  None of the vendors had Chinese team 
merchandise or merchandise for the game's star, Guatemala's 
Carlos Ruiz who scored all three of the game's goals.  After 
Beckham, and most fans, exited, the Galaxy scored two more 
goals.  The final scoreboard read USA: 3, China: 0, a bit of a 
misnomer for a game dominated by a Guatemalan and showcasing a 
British player. 
 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
6. (U) These matches demonstrated Shanghai's ability to 
successfully host international sporting events.  Both venues 
were clean and easily accessible by public transportation.  The 
crowds showed good sportsmanship, with the Korean game being 
particularly enthusiastic.  A wide variety of nationalities 
attended both games and flags for North Korea, South Korea, the 
United States, and China were waved in support of their teams. 
Shanghai's administration of these two international matches 
bodes well for this summer's Olympics, in which many of the 
Men's soccer qualifying matches will be played in Shanghai.  END 
 
SHANGHAI 00000134  002 OF 002 
 
 
COMMENT. 
JARRETT