SEOUL, South Korea -- In 2011, one of the more popular television series on North Koreas Central Television channel was Our Womens Ftball Team, a five-part dramatization of the 2006 Under-20 World Cup triumph. After two similar tournament wins in late 2016, it may be time for a sequel or two.On October 30, the womens Under-17 team won the World Cup in Jordan, defeating Japan in a penalty shtout. On December 3, the Under-20 side did the same with a 3-1 victory over France in Papau New Guinea. It makes the country the first to win those tournaments back-to-back and both teams were given a rapturous welcome on their return to Pyongyang.Sport is very important to the regime and always has been and any success goes down very well, Aidan Foster-Carter, long-time Korea watcher and Honorary Fellow at Leeds University, told The Associated Press.This became even more important since Kim Jong Un succeeded his father Kim Jong Il in 2011.Kim Jong Un has been known to be interested in sport and that became even more apparent when the basketball player Dennis Rodman visited the country, added Foster-Carter. Relations with South Korea have been pretty bad but he has sent teams to sporting events that the south has hosted.One of those was the 2014 Asian Games, held in Incheon, near Seoul. Prior to the tournament, Kim visited the womens training camp to deliver a hand-written letter. The team tk gold.Talented children are streamed into schls with special programs and then into sporting academies. Successful stars can receive special benefits.Kim gives people he is proud of apartments, and that includes athletes, said Foster-Carter. They are always lking for young talent and female soccer is particularly gd.After the latest triumph, Under-20 team coach Hwang Yong-bong was praised for his performance -- described as mysterious and unorthodox and a tactical genius by FIFAs official website -- during the tournament and for his effective use of substitutes to turn games.I make no distinction between my starting XI and my bench. Whenever I make such switches, its always to try to help the team, said Hwang after defeating hosts Papa New Guinea 7-1 in the group stage.North Korea has long been a competitive team in the mens and womens games, but in the past that was chiefly due to stamina and effort. Today, that is allied to a more sophisticated tactics and training as the country now has the means to take in influences from abroad.The North Korean government has also relaxed its isolationist tendencies and allowed young male prospects to play in Europe. Six of the starting eleven that defeated South Korea in the final of the 2014 Asian U-16 tournament had spent time in Italy and Spain.The opening of the Pyongyang International Ftball Schl in 2013, built with $800,000 from FIFAs development program, was another landmark development. Of the 200 students who live in at the academy, which invites foreign coaches, 40% are female aged from nine to 15. The girls play in the same teams as the boys for much of the time they are in the academy.Andrei Lankov, a Korean expert and Honorary Fellow at Macquarie University, is not surprised to see such facilities in the country.There is a recognition that they could use foreign consultation and to have more of their players and coaches interact with whats going on elsewhere, said Lankov. Tactics and training methods are always evolving and they know they need to keep abreast of those changes.Their relative isolation is probably more costly at a sub-elite level, where regional schls and things dont have access to the internet and You Tube and other tls. The leadership clearly thinks the benefits outweigh the costs of having few exchanges with the outside world; sports being no exception.The challenge for the triumphant women is to sustain the success up to the senior level and deliver the womens team a first World Cup title. The best showing so far is a quarterfinal spot in 2007 though the team was disqualified for the 2015 edition after two players had failed doping tests at the 2011 tournament.Winning back-to-back youth World Cups is a great start.Its a feat thats never been achieved before, said coach Hwang. Im delighted with our victory, but we cant stop here. We have to keep on working to win more titles.lnz.com/" target="_blank">Cheap Old Skl NZ For Sale .com) - Yankee Stadium is the home of the Bronx Bombers, but on Sunday afternn it will open its gates to host the latest addition of the Hudson River Rivalry. lnz.com/" target="_blank">Cheap Vans Shoes NZ . During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian trps in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. lnz.com/" target="_blank">http://www.clearanceoldsklnz.com/ . 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Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria. lnz.com/" target="_blank">Wholesale Old Skl NZ .Gather a group of friends, or find a league to join online, draft your team, set your lineup and compete in a number of different formats.PITTSBURGH -- All Marc-Andre Fleury ever wants to do is give his team a chance to stay in the game.The Pittsburgh Penguins goalie did that and more on Thursday against the New York Islanders.Fleury had 31 of his 35 saves through two periods, keeping the game close and allowing Sidney Crosby to score the tiebreaking goal late in the third to lead the Penguins to a 4-2 victory over the Islanders.We were under a lot of pressure, we were on our heels and he made some huge saves that allowed us to keep the lead, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. He was terrific.Fleury faced just five shots in the third period while starting for the eighth straight game. Fleury won for the 19th time in his last 24 home starts and has given up two or fewer goals in five of the first six home games.I know the guys are trying hard, Fleury said. Im just trying to keep the score close and keep them ahead.Patric Hornqvist, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel also scored -- each getting his third of the season -- to help the defending champion Penguins win for the third time in four games and improve to 5-0-1 at home.Crosby, playing for the second straight game after missing the first six with a concussion, scored with 2:25 left as he caught a pass from Scott Wilson at the top of the crease and quickly turned to his forehand to put the puck behind Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak.Crosby, who also scored in his season debut on Tuesday, now has points in 10 straight regular season games dating back to last season.Kessel added a power-play goal to cap the scoring 32 seconds later.Travis Hamonic and Shane Prince scored for the Islanders, who fell to 0-3-0 on the road. Halak finished with 31 saves.Malkin broke a 1-1 tie with 7:12 left in the third as he tk a pass from Kessel and pulled up ahead of Islanders defenseman Dennis Seidenberg before placing a shot between Halaks pads.Prince, playing for the first time after missing five games with a lower-body injury, tied it again with 4:22 remaining. Fleury left the net to play a shot into the zone but the puck caromed off the boards to Prince, who put it into an empty net.I felt bad because I shouldnt have come out of the net, Fleury said. If I wouldve stayed in the net, we wouldve been fine. I was happy to see Sid bury that one.Pittsburgh won three of four against the Islanders last season, the eighth time in nine years the Penguins won the season series.dddddddddddd The Islanders played the second half of a back-to-back after falling at home against Montreal on Wednesday.No one is going to feel sorry for us, Hamonic said. Frustrating result the past two games, but you move forward. We have to keep going. Thats all we can do.Hornqvist opened the scoring with a power-play goal 46 seconds into the game. Pittsburgh has scored a power-play goal in all six home games.Crosby, standing at the left post, set up Hornqvist on the opposite side during a slick passing sequence that also involved Kessel.Fleury kept it a one-goal game with three saves in succession on Nick Leddys point shot, Thomas Hickeys redirection and a blocker stop on Josh Bailey. Prince later hit the post to the left of a sprawled Fleury on a breakaway.The Islanders tied it late in the second period on their 28th shot. Hamonic finished a 2-on-1 from Prince, beating Fleury to the blocker side.Were giving up more shots and chances than I think were accustomed to and (Fleury) has been there to make that timely save for us, Sullivan said. It gives our guys a chance to grab ahold of ourselves and play the game the right way. I thought in the third period our guys responded.Game notesSullivan didnt have an update on F Carl Hagelin, who left late in the third after taking a hit into the boards. .. G Matt Murray, who led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup in June, dressed as Fleurys backup for the second straight game since returning from a broken hand sustained in last months World Cup of Hockey. ... Penguins D Kris Letang missed a fourth straight game with an upper-body injury, but he participated in Thursdays morning skate and is close to a return. ... Conor Sheary (eye) missed his fourth straight game for Pittsburgh, as did Derrick Pouliot (undisclosed). ... Islanders F Nikolay Kulemin missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. ... Eric Boulton (lower body), Ryan Pulock (lower body) and Mathew Barzal also sat for the Islanders.UP NEXTIslanders: Open a five-game homestand Sunday against Toronto on Sunday.Penguins: Begin a four-game road trip Saturday at Philadelphia. Pittsburghs next home game is Nov. 8 against Edmonton. ' ' '