NKorea’s April 25 beats Middlesbrough Ladies 6-2

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP)—Middlesbrough Ladies football team lost its first match to a local side Sunday in a groundbreaking visit to North Korea.
The first British soccer team to play in the communist country was beaten 6-2 by April 25 despite scoring the first goal, TV news agency APTN said in Pyongyang.
Middlesbrough Ladies are on a four-day football jersey
visit, strengthening the town’s long-standing relations with North Korea which date back to the 1966 World Cup.
“They were really, really good. They were unbelievable,” Middlesbrough Ladies goalkeeper Ami Bullen told APTN. “The crowd were brilliant, it was amazing.”
Bullen and her team had landed in Pyongyang a day earlier on a trip to mark the 10th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Britain and North Korea.
The team’s home town, Middlesbrough, has a special connection with North Korea, having hosted the men’s team when they competed in the World Cup for the first time in 1966. Locals adopted the players as their second team and North Korea staged one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history by defeating Italy 1-0 and advancing to the quarterfinals, where they lost to Portugal.
After a 44-year absence, the North Korean men made it to the 2010 World Cup, but lost all three first-round matches.
Soccer is hugely popular in North Korea, and some 5,000 locals and 100 foreigners gathered at Pyongyang’s April 25 Stadium despite the rain, cheering as they watched the friendly match from under umbrellas, APTN footage showed.
“I’m glad we had this friendly match with the British team today,” April 25 player Kwon Bom Hyang told APTN. “I sincerely hope that the football match between our two countries today will promote the development of football in future.”
Later, the Middlesbrough players greeted the April 25 players and shook hands with the North Korean spectators.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency also reported the result of the match.
The British team is scheduled to play one more friendly match against a North Korean team, and will hold training sessions with schoolchildren during their four-night stay in the capital.
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP)—Celtic came from behind to beat Kilmarnock 2-1 and Indianapolis Colts jersey
maintain its perfect start to the Scottish Premier League season on Sunday.
Conor Sammon put Kilmarnock ahead after just seven minutes, but Daryl Murphy equalized from the penalty spot just before halftime after Anthony Stokes was brought down by Frazer Wright.
Stokes, who had replaced the injured Paddy McCourt, then met Emilio Izaguirre’s cross with a close-range volley to score the winner in the 52nd.
The victory ensured Celtic matched Glasgow rival Rangers by winning a fifth match.
Champion Rangers routed Dundee United 4-0 on Saturday.
Ajaxtemporarily climbed to the top of Eredivisie's table after they disposed of Feyenoord on a fine day in Rotterdam. Siem de Jong opened the scoring with five minutes to half-time and Mounir El Hamdaoui made it two after the break. Andre Bahia clawed one back for the hosts in the 80th minute, but it was too little, too late as Ajax got their win.
The hosts started the game on the front foot going close through Mounir El Hamdaoui and Luiz Suarez, who both had excellent chances to open the scoring in the first 30 minutes.
However, it was Siem de Jong, who managed to break the deadlock five minutes before half-time. Miralem Sulejmani took a free-kick on the right and crossed for the strikers in the goal area, Stefan de Vrij, however, got a touch on the ball and it defected to De Jong near the far post and the midfielder scored with a simple headed finish.
There was more trouble for Feyernoord, who were forced to replace Ron Vlaar with Karim El Ahmadi just before half-time after the defender clashed in the air with Stekelenburg.
The visitors started the second half in a stunning fashion twice hitting the post through El Hamdaoui and Suarez, before finally doubling their advantage in the 56th minute through Mounir El Hamdaoui after some good play between him and Suarez.
The game lacked any goal scoring chance for the next twenty-five minutes, but was certainly filled up with emotions as Georgino Wijnaldum and Gregory Van Der Viel had to be torn apart by the referee, following a tussle near the touchline.
Feyenoord managed to pick themselves up and scored a goal through Andre Bahia. The defender was lurking in the goal area, and made use of the fact that Stekelenburg was blocked by a crowd and managed to score with a header at the right post after a corner on the left.
Ajax managed to hold onto their lead, despite a late siege on Dallas Cowboys jersey
their goal by the hosts. There were ugly scenes again as Bahia clashed with Sulejmani near the touch line in the closing minutes of the game.
This win sends the visitors to the top of Eredivisie, albeit temporarily, while the hosts continue to lurk in the mid-table obscurity. Feyernoord travel to Nec in a week's time, while Ajax visit Twente for a top of the table clash on the same day.