North Korea's football team is getting support from the most unlikely of places: Australia's South Korean population.
The North Korean team, nicknamed Chollima, was decimated 7-0 by Portugal in their group game earlier this week. The loss has virtually knocked the team, who are known the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to FIFA, out of contention.
But that hasn't stopped supporters from sharing the love.
Across Australia, South Korean fans turned on their television sets to spur on their northern neighbours, despite increasing tensions between the two nations.
David Woo from the Korean Society of Sydney told SBS both teams have played "beautifully", prompting much celebration from ex-pats in Australia.
He says Sydney boasts a Korean population of around 100,000, many of whom are supporting both teams.
Mr Woo says most South Koreans are against the Kim Jong-Il regime, but still feel connected to their northern counterparts.
"Some parts of South Korea want to help North Korea because we have the same blood," Mr Woo says.
"[We] support North Korea on humanitarian grounds," he says.
Tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang have been strained since the sinking of a South Korean warship in March this year.
The North denies involvement in the incident, despite the findings of a multi-national investigation, which point the finger at the communist country.
