Ask HN: Is holding your head when you miss a goal a universal human reaction?

baader meinhof, you saw Germany miss that goal and watched as six guys on the sideline all held their heads and leaned back slightly in disappointment.

Meanwhile, in a (possibly) completely different part of the world, I asked myself the exact same question.

yes! thats the one that prompted me to post but i've been noticing it the entire world cup!

Did the North Koreans seem to do this? Of all the World Cup teams they're the most culturally isolated. Most of the European and South American players all know each other because they play in the same European leagues.

Even the North Koreans leave to play in international tournaments though. Some play overseas in other leagues.

Four out of 23 do, and at least two of them were Japanese-born Koreans who for whatever reason decided to take DPRK nationality.

Seems like a pretty obvious way to express frustration, although likely that it was also a learned cultural behaviour, popularized through television/media.