SUPPORT » e Caen moved two points away from the relegation zone.Caen took

Rejuvenated striker Mario Balotelli took his league tally to eight goals in eight games as French leader Nice beat struggling Dijon 2-1 on Sunday to move four points ahead of Monaco and seven clear of defending champion Paris Saint-Germain.Regardless of what happens in the upcoming midweek games, Nice is guaranteed to head into the winter break in first place.Monaco could have closed the gap to one point, but it was reduced to 10 men in the first half and lost 3-1 at home to a rapidly improving Lyon on Sunday night.Lyon is now up to fourth place, five points behind PSG and with a game in hand.Monaco was under pressure after left back Benjamin Mendy was sent off in the 39th minute -- 10 minutes after Algeria midfielder Rachid Ghezzal had given Lyon the lead.Lyon winger Mathieu Valbuena is getting back to his best as he chases a France recall, having being left out of the European Championship squad this summer, and scored for the fifth time in the past six games to make it 2-0 in the 65th.Monaco rallied thanks to midfielder Tiemoue Bakayokos strike five minutes later, his teams 54th goal in just 18 league games. But Lyons top scorer, Alexandre Lacazette, wrapped up the win late on with his 12th league goal in just 13 games. In the previous two league campaigns, the prolific forward -- rated at around 45 million euros ($47 million) -- scored 48 in 67 games.PSG had lost 2-1 at Guingamp on Saturday for its fourth league defeat of the season and still has to play at Nice in the second part of the campaign.Nice has lost only once this season under Lucien Favre in his first season in charge.The Swiss coach should also take credit for helping to relaunch Balotellis career when many observers had written him off.Balotelli scored from a penalty kick in the 32nd minute and, after Julio Tavares equalized from the spot shortly after, pounced five minutes after halftime for the winner.The Italian forward joined in the summer as a free signing from English Premier League side Liverpool, and is reviving a chaotic career where he has often stood out for controversial incidents on and off the field.His unhappy time at Liverpool came to end when the English club sent him on loan last season to AC Milan -- his former club -- but he only managed one goal in 20 league games for the Italian side.The season before that, Balotelli had scored only one league goal for Liverpool in 16 games.But now, despite an occasional absence through minor injuries, he is a key part of Favres plans.Balotelli struck his penalty low to the left, with goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet guessing the right way, and then turned in defender Arnaud Souquets cross from the right.---MARSEILLE 2, LILLE 0Coach Rudi Garcias methods seem to finally be working as Marseille won for the third league game in a row to climb up to sixth place.Striker Bafetimbi Gomis opened the scoring in the 56th minute and winger Florian Thauvin added the other four minutes later.They have been Marseilles most consistent players this season and have 14 league goals between them: nine for Gomis and five for Thauvin.Garcia took charge in late October, replacing Franck Passi, but won only two of his first seven games in all competitions.---CAEN 3, METZ 0Croatian striker Ivan Santini scored his eighth league goal of the season as Normandy side Caen moved two points away from the relegation zone.Caen took the lead through 18-year-old striker Yann Karamoh in the 20th minute.Santini netted in the 61st before substitute forward Pape Sane sealed the win in injury time.Caen is in 16th place, while Dijon is 18th. Nike Zoom Clearance . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. Nike Zoom Online Shop . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. http://www.cheapnikezoom.net/ . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. Nike Zoom Wholesale . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. Nike Zoom Discount . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. AUSTIN, Texas -- With reports swirling that Texas power brokers may be moving to oust him after this season, Longhorns coach Charlie Strong says hes heard the rumblings and is engaged -- as always -- with the principal boosters.I know the guys to keep in touch with, and I do, Strong told ESPN.com on Monday. Theyve been great and always want to know if theres anything they can do to help. Now, I dont go to dinner with those guys, so Im not going to be seen in public with them. Im not a member of their country club and I dont play golf, so I dont go play golf with them. But I pick up the phone and call them, keep in touch.Strong, in his third season at Texas, is 13-17 in his first 30 games. The Longhorns are 2-3 after their third straight loss Saturday, a 45-40 defeat to the rival Oklahoma Sooners.All the while, just down the road, Houstons Tom Herman is the name many are floating as a potential replacement for Strong.They want the same thing I do, to see this program continue to make strides, Strong said of the Texas boosters. We need to finish strong, where were on an upswing. We dont want to be going backward, and were not.Strong said he feels the fans frustrations, but he remains confident that hell return the program back to national relevance.I thought it would be faster. I thought I would turn it faster, and boom, then wed take off, Strong said. But what happened is once you get into it, you start realizing you dont have a quarterback, you dont have this, you dont have that. So it comes back to you have to go recruit.As badly as were getting beat up out there by some people, and despite some of the things that are being said, were still getting great players. We just have to learn to win some of these close games were losing and be more consistent. Its coming, and everybody in our locker room will tell you the same thing.ddddddddddddStrong said hes received nothing but support from his bosses at the university as well as those key power brokers. Both Texas president Greg Fenves and athletic director Mike Perrin came out in support of Strong last week.What I look at is that we have a team thats making strides and not going backward, Strong said. Now, we havent won like we want to, but I look at where were heading and know well get there because I believe in the kids so much that I know its going to happen.The Longhorns have fixed their offensive problems from the first two seasons and are averaging 41 points per game, but theyve also given up 45 or more points in all three of their losses this season. Strong took over the defensive playcalling duties last week against Oklahoma, but the Longhorns still gave up 675 yards and 45 points.The problem on defense is the deep ball, and we can get that fixed, Strong said. If we have to, we wont go with any more bump-and-runs, back our corners off and make people throw the ball in front of us. Right now, whats killing us are the chunk plays. Its killing us because teams arent driving the ball. Its a home run.Strong was asked Saturday after the Oklahoma loss if it was desperation time for the program. He told ESPN.com Monday the only way he would feel desperate is if the Longhorns lacked talent and werent recruiting well. He likened Texas situation now with where Butch Jones and the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers were last season.Were in pretty much the same position -- hes a year ahead of me, Strong said. And look at where they are right now. ' ' '