This poor kid from North Korea experiences enough tragedy and woe and heartbreak in this 42-second video to fill a Russian novel. Let's trace his journey.
First, the goalie appears. Then the ball appears. The ball is nowhere near the goalie. This confuses him and he starts running for the ball. But then he hesitates. Is this really what he wants? To get the ball? Or is it already too late. No, he decides. It's not too late. Besides, Kim Jong Un will probably be mad at me if I don't try hard, he reasons. You know how Kim Jon Un gets.
So he runs after the ball, but the ball is rolling away from him. Rolling toward the goal, the thing the goalie was supposed to protect but has strayed from. And then: disaster. He falls. It's hopeless. It's been hopeless from the start. This much has been clear. But he must try to get the ball. He gets up. He runs again. He dives, pitifully, hopelessly, as the ball rolls across the line into the goal.
Please go easy on him, Kim. He's just a kid.
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
