Rising defeat Switchbacks behind Johnson’s header

Jason Johnson was ready. The forward who came into the match as a substitute at halftime, waited in the center of the box as Didier Drogba lined up the corner kick in the 84th minute on Saturday night. He drilled a low line drive right toward Johnson who leaped up and headed the ball into the net for the goal.

It was Johnson's second of the night, who led the Phoenix Rising comeback against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. The Rising won 2-1 and improved to 6-5-4 on the season with 22 points.

“(Coach) Patrice (Carteron) wants us to win every game, and that’s the mentality we need to have,” Drogba said. “We cannot win every time, but at least you have to give everything and that’s what we have been doing.”

Mexico beats Curacao 2-0 to win CONCACAF Group C

Angel Sepulveda and Edson Alvarez scored and Mexico held on to beat Curacao 2-0 on Sunday night at the Alamodome to win Group C in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and continue its bid for a fourth championship in five years.

Mexico advanced to face Honduras in the quarterfinals Thursday night in Glendale, Arizona.

The defending champions had a surprisingly tough match against Curacao, which was competing in the Gold Cup for the first time.

Sepulveda scored on a diving header in the 22nd minute off a cross-field assist from Raul Lopez. Alvarez scored in the 90th minute shortly after injury time was added.

Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio celebrated Alvarez’s goal from a suite in the Alamodome while serving the third of a six-match suspension from FIFA for his actions toward officials during a Confederations Cup match.

Coming off a scoreless draw against Jamaica on Thursday night in Denver, Mexico was able to overcome a gritty effort by Curacao to finish 2-0-1 in Group C.

Jamaica beat El Salvador 1-0 in the earlier match, but both advanced out of Group C based on match points.

Bike problem nearly derails Froome on Stage 15 of Tour de France

Chris Froome fought back from a bike breakdown to cling onto his race leader’s yellow jersey on the tricky Stage 15 of the Tour de France, won Sunday with a courageous solo breakaway by Bauke Mollema of the Netherlands.

The back wheel of three-time Tour champion Froome broke at the worst possible time, just as the AG2R team of close rival Romain Bardet was picking up the pace ahead of the last big climb of the day, an 8.3-kilometer (5-mile) slog up the steep Col de Peyra Taillade — scaled for the very first time by the Tour. teammate Michal Kwiatkowski and got going again, Bardet’s group was already way ahead — about one minute ahead of him down the road.

Aside from Bardet, other top riders were also in that group, including Fabio Aru and Rigoberto Uran — all within 30 seconds of Froome in the overall standings. Froome had two choices: catch them or lose the overall race lead and the famed yellow jersey that goes with it.

He hared after them and, helped first by teammates Mikel Nieve and then by Mikel Landa, Froome worked furiously on the climb to reel in Bardet’s group — past cheering crowds with some people who booed him as he labored past them.

WNBA