n Division. They moved to 3-4-2 in their past nine games

RECIFE, Brazil - Didier Drogba came off the bench to inspire Cote dIvoire to a 2-1 comeback victory over Japan in a World Cup Group C match on Saturday. Goose Goslin Jersey . Drogba, who had been carrying an injury, came on in the 62nd minute when his team was losing 1-0. The talismanic strikers arrival immediately lifted Cote dIvoire team and Wilfried Bony and Gervinho scored with headers two minutes apart. Both goals were set up by curling crosses from defender Serge Aurier. Coach Sabri Lamouchis inspired substitution negated Keisuke Hondas first half goal that had given Japan the lead in a group that also includes Colombia and Greece. Colombia beat Greece 3-0 earlier on Saturday. The 36-year-old former Chelsea star started for Cote dIvoire in the last two World Cups, but neither of those sides made it out of group play. He probably lacks the fitness to play 90 minutes these days, but his impact as a substitute can be dramatic, as was shown on a rainy night in Recife. Now Cote dIvoire is in good shape to advance to the second round for the first time. Next up is Colombia, the group leader by virtue of goal difference. That match is Thursday, as is Japans next test against Greece. Japan had the better of the play in the first half, taking a lead through Hondas hard left-footed strike from about 12 yards in the 16th minute. Yuto Nagatomo slid a pass across the edge of the penalty area to Honda, who settled the ball cleanly with his right foot before belting his 21st career international goal under the cross bar and inside the near post. Japan had several chances to widen its lead in the opening 45 minutes, and will rue missing them. Just minutes after Hondas goal, Japan defender Atsuto Uchida made a run down the right and unloaded a point-blank shot that Cote dIvoire goalkeeper Boubacar Barry parried. Hondas curling shot from the edge of the penalty area soon after forced Barry to make a leaping save. Cote dIvoire dominated the second half but the sluggish-looking team was making little headway until the arrival of Drogba galvanized it. Within minutes, Bonys angled header found the goal and then Gervinho scored with a near post header that goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima should have saved. Japan could not make any impression on Cote dIvoire defence in the remaining 20 minutes. The game marked the World Cup debut for Lamouchi, a 42-year-old Frenchman of Moroccan descent who was widely seen as a surprise hire in 2012. It was also an unpopular move among fans in Cote dIvoire, who favoured a more experienced coach for a team which has been to the previous two World Cups, and which has a number of players who have flourished in Europes top professional leagues. Bill Freehan Jersey . - Vince Carter, heading into his 17th NBA season, doesnt consider age a big issue anymore. Billy Rogell Jersey .com) - Devon Johnson ran for a school record 272 yards with four touchdowns and No. https://www.cheaptigers.com/459z-eddie-mathews-jersey-tigers.html .Y. -- That hangover from the Big East tournament is gone for Villanova.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Minnesota Wild hope to avoid a season-high sixth loss in a row on Tuesday night when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Wild fell to 0-4-1 in their past five games with a 4-1 setback to the hosting Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. Minnesota didnt get on the scoreboard until Matt Cookes goal with 4:52 left in the game. Niklas Backstrom surrendered all four goals on 35 shots for Minnesota, which has fallen into last place in the Central Division while going 2-7-4 in its past 13 games. Theres some things that are concerning, Wild head coach Mike Yeo said. The clock is ticking here. The Wild have matched their longest losing streak of the season, though they did manage to pick up three points during an 0-2-3 slide from Dec. 16-27. They last lost six in a row from Dec. 19-31 of last season, all in regulation. The Penguins are coming off Saturdays 2-1 road victory over the Montreal Canadiens, with Sidney Crosby finally picking up a goal with 1:19 to go in overtime after seeing some earlier chances turned aside. Crosby had two separate chances to win it earlier as the clock ticked down to two minutes remaining in the extra session. Habs goaltender Carey Price flashed his right pad on the first chance and seconds later, Crosby actually beat Price through the pads from in close, but Montreals Alexei Emelin came to the rescue and swept the puck out of danger. The hosts werre hit with a bench minor penalty with 1:51 left in OT, and Evgeni Malkin slipped a pass into the right circle for Crosbys successful one-timer which ended the contest. Willie Hernandez Jersey. We had to start moving the puck around on the power play. Its hurt us in games for sure. We can change momentum with it and win games like we did tonight, Crosby said. But we have to get better on the advantage. In a 1-1 game, obviously Id love to score. I should have buried those earlier chances, but I got the one that mattered. Malkin provided the other tally for the Penguins, who snapped a two-game skid and remained a point behind the first-place Islanders in the Metropolitan Division. They moved to 3-4-2 in their past nine games as Marc-Andre Fleury came up with 27 saves. Though the Penguins have won three of their last four versus the Wild, Fleury is winless against them in five starts. He has lost all five games with a 3.76 goals against average and .853 save percentage. Backup Thomas Greiss made 33 saves when the Penguins beat a hosting Wild club 4-1 on Nov. 4. Darcy Kuemper, currently out with an undisclosed injury, yielded three goals on 21 shots for the Wild. Backstrom figures to start for Minnesota tonight and is 3-2-0 lifetime versus the Pens with a 2.77 GAA and .912 save percentage. Pittsburgh snapped a six-game series home losing streak to the Wild with a 5-2 win on Dec. 19, 2013. ' ' '