SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) It wasn’t in front of tens of thousands at London’s famed Stamford Bridge, nor the masses inside World Cup venues of years past. But Didier Drogba’s presence on the pitch before a sellout crowd of 7,062 in 100-degree heat at an American second-division facility Saturday night still created a buzz.
Drogba, wearing No. 11 in red and the captain’s armband, made his playing debut for USL side Phoenix Rising FC about two months after agreeing to join the club as player and part owner. He looked sharp from the start and rewarded the crowd and those watching around the world online with the game’s opening goal in the 40th minute.