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BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil -- Waiting and waiting for an equalizer, the tension showed on the faces of the Belgium players as the second half wore on in the countrys first World Cup match in 12 years. Algeria was on the verge of a major upset in their Group H opener Tuesday, taking the lead through a penalty in the 25th minute. Try as they might, Belgiums attacking players just couldnt break down Algerias defence. In the end, it was the Belgian bench which found the way, with substitutes scoring twice for a 2-1 comeback win. "We tired them down. We just tired them down," Belgium coach Marc Wilmots said. "I told them, Dont worry, we will score." Algerias surprising lead stood for 45 minutes until Marouane Fellainis strong glancing header, with his back to goal, from a Kevin De Bruyne cross in the 70th. Fellaini, who many had considered would start the match, had only come onto the pitch five minutes earlier and was Wilmots final substitution. Dries Mertens right-foot strike beat Algerias goalkeeper in the 80th after Eden Hazard saw him free on the right and set him up for the decider. Mertens, who went on at the start of the second half, sent his shot high in the net outside of Rais Mbolhis reach. "We knew it would be tough, that there would be no space," Wilmots said. "We made one error and we paid for it. The bench made the difference. We showed mental strength and we came back." The error was an obvious one. Belgium left back Jan Vertonghen dragged down Sofiane Feghouli in the area, and the Algerian attacking midfielder got up and converted the resulting penalty. At that point, Algeria was on course to produce another upset of a major team as it did in 1982 when it beat West Germany in its first group match. "We played a very good game against one of the favourites," Feghouli said. "We have to build on this." The Algerians started brightly but faded toward the end against Belgiums unrelenting attack. "We saw their strength come through. They showed that Belgium has great players," captain Madjid Bougherra said. "We lacked freshness and energy. The heat cost us." Belgium, widely billed as the favourite in Group H, next plays Russia, while Algeria meets South Korea on June 22. Algeria dominated possession in the opening minutes, surging forward and moving the ball with flair. Belgium eventually settled down and regained control, ending the match with 65 per cent possession. Before Belgiums comeback, the Algeria defence held firm, setting up a bulwark in the final third of the pitch. When Belgium had the ball, Algeria defenders allowed them little room to manoeuvr -- defenders at times doubled up on Hazard, shutting down space for him to operate down the left. "We just missed a big upset, a victory," Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic said. "We were so close. "My players have no reason to blush. They may be disappointed, but there is no reason to cry." Defensive midfielder Axel Witsel had Belgiums best two opportunities in the first half -- powerful 25-yard shots parried by the Algeria goalkeeper in the 21st and 34th minutes -- and also snuffed out Algeria threats by protecting the back four and winning numerous aerial duels. Wilmots brought on Mertens for Nacer Chadli after halftime to give Belgium more of an attacking edge. He also took off lone striker Romelu Lukaku, who was left stranded and had a disappointing match, and replaced him with Divock Origi in the 58th. He made his final substitution in the 65th when he brought on Fellanini for Moussa Dembele to give the team more of a physical presence. "We had to be patient, and we had the weapons on the bench to make the difference," Wilmots said. . - Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner with 41 seconds to go as the Niagara IceDogs edged the North Bay Battalion 3-2 to even their first-round series at a game apiece in Ontario Hockey League playoff action on Sunday. .Mila Kunis was a guest on Kimmel last night and revealed a surprising side of herself that comes out when she watches sports. It turns out screaming something vulgar at professional athletes is therapeutic for Kunis. http://www.swellbottiglie.it/.com) - After Tom Brady added to an already illustrious legacy, Malcolm Butler established his by leaving the Seattle Seahawks, well, deflated. .Y. -- As if the worst start in franchise history isnt bad enough, Buffalo Sabres President Ted Black braced his teams win-starved fans for potentially more tough times. . Leaning forward with both hands on his knees, Buffon appeared to be resting or somehow trying to withstand the rain. Or perhaps the 36-year-old goalkeeper and Italy captain was reflecting on this: He is only the third player in history to be part of five World Cup squads, along with Germany great Lothar Matthaus and former Mexico goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal.ORLANDO, Fla. -- Scottie Wilbekin sat on the bench for the final minute, holding a bag of ice against his left knee. It was about the only time he wasnt giving Pittsburgh huge problems on both ends of the court. Wilbekin scored 21 points, including 11 of the teams 13 during a 7-minute stretch in the second half, and top-seeded Florida handled the Panthers 61-45 in the NCAA tournament Saturday. The Gators 28th consecutive win put them in the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive year. The latest victory followed a lacklustre and head-scratching performance in the teams NCAA opener against Albany two days earlier. The Gators vowed to play with more energy and intensity, and Wilbekin spearheaded the effort. "We just wanted to come out and not let them play harder than us or not play as hard as we can," Wilbekin said. "I think we did a good job of having our energy up at the start of the game, and we played together on offence and played together on defence." Wilbekin took over in the second half, scoring eight consecutive points at one point. Patric Young wasnt too shabby, either, finishing with seven points and eight rebounds. Will Yeguete added eight points -- all in the paint. Michael Frazier II chipped in 10 points for the Gators. Frazier was just 2-of-9 shooting from 3-point range. Had Florida not been cold from behind the arc, the game would have been essentially over much sooner than it was. The Gators finished 5 of 20 from 3-point range, with at least five of those rimming in and out. Florida will face either fourth-seeded UCLA or 12th-seeded Stephen F. Austin on Thursday in the South Regional in Memphis, Tenn. The Bruins and Lumberjacks play Sunday in San Diego. The Gators have the longest current streak of Sweet 16 appearances -- and expect to go further. If Wilbekin continues to play like he did against the Panthers, Florida surely improves its chances of making another deep run in the tournament. "It was good to see him come back and respond the way he did today," coach Billy Donovan said. "I thought all the way around he played very well. ... He was great on both ends of the floor because he really gives it up on the defensive end, and when you give it up like that and youre the point guard, theres a physical toll that your body takes over a period of time." Wilbbekin ended up getting iced down after banging knees with a defender.dddddddddddd He got a well-deserved standing ovation as he limped off the court. "Hes a great point guard," Panthers forward Lamar Patterson said. "He took care of business." Wilbekin hit a running 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer and drained a back-breaking 3 with 8:24 remaining that gave Florida its largest lead at that point, 45-31. His consecutive floaters inside 5 minutes to play were equally troublesome for Pitt. The Panthers, who seemed focused on Young inside and Frazier out, had no answer for Wilbekins dribble penetration. Wilbekin also was a force on the press, which helped force 11 turnovers and got the Panthers out of rhythm. Florida played the kind of defence that had to impress NFL coaches Bill Belichick and Mike Tomlin. The Patriots and Steelers head men were on hand, with Belichick sitting behind Floridas bench in a white Gators visor and Tomlin sitting opposite Pitts bench in Panthers colours. Wilbekin really started to dominate as Pitt steadily wore down in the second half. "Got in the lane -- constantly," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "Hes a senior, hes a really good player, hes been through some ups and downs, obviously, and hes had a great finish to his career, and thats what you hope happens to a kid that learns and gets better. They played well. Im sure theyre proud of him and what hes become, a local guy thats done well." Talib Zanna led the Panthers with 10 points, their only player in double figures. A lot was made of the inside matchup between Young and Zanna, two ripped centres who played well Thursday. But Wilbekin was the story in this one. His best play didnt even show up in the box score. Wilbekin saved one of the many loose balls Florida got to first, turned around and threw a strike to Casey Prather. Prather drove the lane and dropped the ball to Young for a dunk that energized the pro-Florida crowd. "I think just trying to get better in little areas, the small stuff, trying to be a better leader," said Wilbekin, who was suspended five games to start the season. "As far as how it translates on the court, I think its helped me become a better leader, be more connected with my teammates and coach. Its helped me play with a freer mind." ' ' '