PARIS -- Fresh from his maiden cap with France, Thomas Lemar helped Monaco to a 3-0 win at Lorient with a superb free kick as the Principality side moved top of the French league standings on Friday.Monaco moved level on points with Nice but has a better goal difference than its Mediterranean neighbor. Nice travels to Saint-Etienne on Sunday.Also, Lyon prepared for its Champions League trip to Dinamo Zagreb with a third consecutive win, a 1-0 defeat of Lille that lifted the seven-time champions to fourth overall, seven points off Monacos pace.Lemar, the highly-praised attacking midfielder, came in as a substitute for France earlier this week in a goalless draw with Ivory Coast as a reward for his solid start to the season.Renowned for his dazzling dribbles, excellent first touch and passing skills, the 21-year-old from the island of Guadeloupe has already equaled his best tally for a season with five goals in 12 matches.Under new coach Bernard Casoni, Lorient dominated in the first half but conceded two goals in the space of three minutes after the interval.Forward Radamel Falcao, who played with Colombia midweek, started on the bench but proved decisive just a few seconds after he came in, scoring his fifth league goal this season in the 64th at the conclusion of a quick counterattack.Lemar then curled a stunning 25-meter free kick into the top right corner and Gabriel Boschilia added more luster to the win in added time. The Brazilian midfielders goal came from another set-piece after his shot took a deflection off the wall.Currently the team with the best attacking record in Europes top five leagues, Monaco has scored 26 goals in its past seven matches, averaging 3.7 goals per game. Leonardo Jardims side will try to seal its progress to the knockout phase of the Champions League next week when it hosts Tottenham.Lorient remained at the bottom of the standings, 22 points behind Monaco.In Lille, Maxwel Cornet scored the winner for Lyon three minutes in with a clean finish after being left unmarked inside the area. Lille was reduced to 10 men following Younousse Sankhares red card in the 56th for a foul on Maxime Gonalons. Michael Conforto Mets Jersey . Parker had 26 points and eight assists and San Antonio beat Toronto 112-99 Monday night. "We won that game because of Tony Parkers aggressiveness," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His juice; his aggression all night long. Jeurys Familia Mets Jersey . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. http://www.metsbaseballauthentic.com/brandon-nimmo-mets-jersey/ . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Nolan Ryan Jersey . It was the kind of score that might make everyone else wonder which course he was playing. Except that Graeme McDowell saw the whole thing. Crouched behind the 10th green at Sheshan International, McDowell looked over at the powerful American and said, "Ive probably seen 18 of the best drives Ive seen all year in the last two days. Jason Vargas Jersey . The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros. The AFL Players Association is open to negotiating the work-life balance of footballers but wont budge on mandated days off.The delicate relationship between a players club responsibilities and life outside football looms as a sleeper issue in ongoing pay negotiations between the league and players.Sydney veteran Ted Richards revealed this week players were eager to secure a second mid-season bye, and Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley put the issue of player schedules on the agenda this week.The Brownlow medalist is frustrated at restrictions that dont allow him to provide a fully immersive training and welfare program at his club.Buckley raised the matter at the annual coaches dinner, hosted by AFL supremo Gillon McLachlan on Tuesday night, and outlined his case publicly on Thursday.The main (issue) for me is clubs being able to control their own program ... we only get access to the guys for three-and-a-half days a week, he said.Were here to win games of footy, produce a really goood program and develop great competitors that are good people as well.ddddddddddddIts something well keep putting our hands up for and being trusted more from the (AFL) PA and the AFL.In response, AFLPA player relations boss Brett Murphy said he had empathy for Buckleys point of view, but drew a line under their day and a half off.We are always open to providing clubs with flexibility around scheduling where there is a need, he said.However, we also need to ensure that players have sufficient time away from their clubs to develop as people and provide balance to their lives.For that reason, players are entitled to a day and a half off each week.We think this is fair and reasonable, and strikes the right balance in ensuring players are adequately prepared to play.Negotiations continue between the AFL and AFLPA over the new collective bargaining agreement. ' ' '
