Greece, a vast archaeological site with one of the most emblematic cultures in the world

In this context, and according to the data of the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), millions of tourists visit Greece’s numerous museums and archeological sites every year. More specifically:

-In April 2017 compared with the corresponding month of 2016, Museums experienced a 13.1% increase in the number of visitors and a 1.9% increase in the number of free admission visitors as well as a 36.4% increase in their receipts.

-In April 2017 compared with the corresponding month of 2016, the number of visitors at Archaeological sites recorded an increase of 24.2%, while an increase of 18.4% was observed in the number of free admission visitors and a 34.3% increase in the corresponding receipts.

-During the four-month period from January to April 2017, an increase of 14.1% was observed in the number of visitors of Museums, while an increase of 6.5% was recorded in the number of free admission visitors and a 22.4% increase in the relevant receipts, in comparison with the corresponding period of 2016.

-As regards Archaeological sites, during the four-month period from January to April 2017, an increase of 15.3% was recorded in the number of visitors, while a 10.0% increase was observed in the number of free admission visitors and a 28.2% increase in the relevant receipts, in comparison with the corresponding period of 2016

US Open 2017: Quest for No1 continues for Simona Halep, but can she beat Sharapova in opener?

Simona Halep’s hopes for No1 have moved to the US Open, where she is now just five points behind Karolina Pliskova.

Simona Halep, one of the most consistent and persistent women on the tour, has needed to draw on all her focus and resilience this year as chances to claim the No1 ranking evaporated before her eyes.

But all the signs are that the US Open will at last deliver one of the biggest achievement of her career.

Twice the Romanian has been runner-up at a Major—both times at the French Open. She has also been a semi-finalist at Wimbledon and the US Open, yet thus far, she has failed to pick up one of the landmark titles. But her form through the US Open Series suggests she will be tough to beat: a semi run in Toronto followed by a final finish in Cincinnati. Maybe this time…

She has also enjoyed long stretches as the world No2: from August 2015 through to 2016, and now since the French Open this year. She then came within touching distance of No1, in a battle that has raged since Angelique Kerber displaced the absent Serena Williams after more than three years at No1.

Battle for No1 set for replay in New York

Until now, that battle has been joined repeatedly by up to five women through the clay and grass seasons, and Halep is the one who has been a constant after an injury-blighted start to the year. Her surge began in Miami, then came a semi run in Stuttgart, victory in Madrid, the final in Rome, and the No1 ranking was hers if she won at Roland Garros. She was runner-up.

After losing to Jelena Ostapenko at the French Open, she had another bite of the cherry in Eastbourne: she fell to Caroline Wozniacki. The odds then seemed in her favour at Wimbledon as she came within touching distance of the semis, which would have sealed the deal, only to lose 7-6, 6-7, 4-6 to Johanna Konta.

Instead, it would be Karolina Pliskova who rose to No1, despite losing in the second round at Wimbledon.

Halep’s hopes were ignited again through the US Open Series, and come Cincinnati, Halep, Elina Svitolina, Kerber and Wozniacki—the Toronto runner-up—were all in contention, and Halep could grab the No1 with the title. Sure enough she made the final, only to be beaten by Garbine Muguruza.

So Halep’s hopes for No1 have moved to the US Open, where she is now just five points behind last year’s runner-up, Pliskova. But now, there are no fewer than eight women who, mathematically at least, could end the final Major of the year as No1.

Halep sets the pace for No1—but troubles ahead

Halep, however, has drawn the shortest of straws in the draw, facing wild card and former champion Maria Sharapova. The Russian has won all six of their previous matches and has never lost before the third round in New York. The only saving grace is that Sharapova has suffered injury problems since her return from a doping ban, and arrives having played only one match on hard courts: She retired after her opener in Stanford.

Halep could face another contender for No1, No6 seed Johanna Konta, in the quarters, though the in-form Julia Goerges may have other ideas, and No11 seed Dominika Cibulkova, has just become runner-up in Connecticut. There are dangerous floaters, too, in the shape of Sloane Stephens and Roberta Vinci.

Should she get through, Halep is then faced with no fewer than three more contenders for the No1 ranking in the semis.

Wozniacki is seeded No5, but she could face another woman in the No1 frame, 37-year-old Venus Williams, seeded No8. Remarkably, the elder Williams won her two titles in New York in 2000 and 2001, and was last No1 more than 15 years ago, yet she is the only woman this year to have reached two Major finals.

Muguruza on the march

However, the biggest danger once again could be Muguruza. Her second-round loss in New York last year means she has big points to gain, and she trails the top two women by fewer than 600 points after winning in Cincinnati. She is also the only woman among the top five to have won a Major—and she now has two of them.

The tall, elegant Spaniard has to reach at least the fourth round for a chance of grabbing No1, but should not have too much trouble doing so. Beyond that, though, there is a tricky path to the quarters blocked by Petra Kvitova—who has the unpredictable Jelena Jankovic in her opener—and Caroline Garcia.

To reach the semis, she could come up against Williams or Wozniacki, but she is many experts’ pick for the title, despite having won just two matches here in four previous visits.

Young challengers

Elina Svitolina, just 22 years old, has won five titles this year, including the prestigious Rome, Dubai and Toronto Premiers. From a ranking of 14 at the start of the year, therefore, the athletic Ukrainian has risen to No4—and No3 in the Race—but she will have to perform at her best level to come through a tough quarter.

Her first seed, Daria Gavrilova, is has just won in Connecticut, but unseeded players in these first rounds include Kayla Day and Eugenie Bouchard. Madison Keys is a challenge lurking in the fourth round, and defending champion Kerber and French Open champion Ostapenko are possible opponents in the quarters.

Kerber, displaced at No1 in the summer, is not among the eight who could reclaim it—her champion’s points from last year have seen to that. Her wayward form—not a single win over a top-20 player this season—will not encourage, either.

Other young players to watch include the remarkably confident Ostapenko, who was ranked 36 last year, but now the 20-year-old is ranked 12. She also reached the quarters at Wimbledon, and has the kind of attacking game to upset anyone on her day.

More young blood breaking into the top 32 seedings are teenage Ana Konjuh and 21-year-old Anett Kontaveit, while 23-year-old Gavrilova has just won her first title in Connecticut.

Also worth watching is 22-year-old Madison Keys, who has bounced back from a long injury absence to win Stanford—though she is in the demanding Svitolina/Kerber/Ostapenko quarter.

Can Konta cash in?

Johanna Konta is one of just two British women in the draw with Heather Watson, but she too is in with a shout of the No1 ranking. All she has to do is win her first Major, but then New York is arguably her most decent shot at doing just that.

Konta only broke the top 50 at the start of 2016, did not win her first title until Stanford last year, and won her first Premier Mandatory this March in Miami. She has built a 5-7 record over top-five opponents and a 14-9 record over top-10 players, but she first showed her full promise in New York. It was 2015, she was ranked 97, and she came through qualifying to reach her first fourth round at a Major, beating world No9 and No18 in the process.

Now with her second Major semi-final behind her, she will have to come through the testing Halep quarter, beginning with the 77-ranked Aleksandra Krunic but progressing to Goerges, Cibuklova and Halep. However, it is entirely possible.

But let us not forget…

That Pliskova was runner-up in New York last year, has three titles to her name this year, and likes to remain under the radar despite her height and power on a hard court.

She has some tricky customers in her quarter, including Kristina Mladenovic, Agnieszka Radwanska and Coco Vandeweghe, though the highest ranked woman is that last of the eight in contention for No1. Svetlana Kuznetsova also happens to be a former US champion, and at the age of 32, is consistently going deep in the biggest tournaments.

US Open 2017 men’s form guide: Federer favourite to claim 20th grand slam

Men’s tennis is in a state of flux at the moment, but old masters like Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal are back and favourites to add to their glorious CVs at the US Open

The favourites

Roger Federer

As astonishing as ever despite turning 36 recently, the Swiss master heads to New York as the favourite to claim his 20th grand slam title, having spent the past eight months meeting adversity like it is a single-handed backhand waiting to be flayed down the line. Federer has not reigned at the US Open for nine years, but the five-times champion was a finalist in 2015 and has already won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, shattering any notion that it was time for the greatest player in the history of the game to let go of his racket. He is not entirely without doubts, though. There is concern about the stiff back that troubled him in Montreal and forced him to pull out of Cincinnati. However his awesome return from six months out with a knee injury is proof that Federer knows how to manage his body.

Rafael Nadal

Back on top of the world for the first time in more than three years, the Spaniard will regard this as a wonderful opportunity to win his third US Open title. However while Nadal has enjoyed a fruitful year, reaching the final of the Australian Open and romping to his 10th French Open title, it must be remembered that his return to No1 comes at a time when many of his main rivals are struggling with form and fitness. Injury problems for Andy Murray and Federer made Nadal’s rise inevitable, in spite of his underwhelming results in Cincinnati and Montreal. Fans of the Federer-Nadal rivalry are aching to see them in the final of the one grand slam where the two legends have never met. If Nadal is at his best, Federer is probably the only man who can beat him. Yet the 2010 and 2013 champion has struggled at Flushing Meadows recently: absent in 2014, he lost from two sets up to Fabio Fognini in the third round in 2015 and in the fourth round to Lucas Pouille last year. It will be fascinating to see how much he has left in the tank after an intense season.

Alex Zverev

The game’s brightest young star offered another outstanding display of his potential by outplaying Federer to collect his second Masters 1000 title in Montreal and add to the one he claimed at the expense of Novak Djokovic in Rome in May. The tall German with the long locks and expansive game is building quite the reputation for himself thanks to fearless performances against the greats of the game and he is widely tipped as a future world No1. The 20-year-old still has plenty to prove, of course, and has only reached the second week of a major once, losing to Milos Raonic in the last 16 at Wimbledon last month, but it does not look like it will be long before he is challenging for the biggest honours. Judging by his win over Federer, he possesses the necessary self-belief to pull off a stunning feat in New York. Nobody will be surprised if he goes deep into the tournament.

Marin Čilić

Men’s tennis is in a state of flux at the moment, with many of the top players worn down by the grind of the tour. Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori are all out for the rest of the year, while Čilić has not played since Wimbledon, an adductor injury preventing him from defending his Cincinnati title. The powerful Croatian, who won the hearts of neutrals by weeping during his defeat to Federer in the final at SW19, should be a major contender in such an open field, but the 2014 champion might be rusty in the first week.

Three to watch

Grigor Dimitrov

The Bulgarian has returned to the top 10 after making the most of withdrawals elsewhere to win his first ATP Masters tournament in Cincinnati last weekend, dominating Nick Kyrgios in a one-sided final. The world No9 has not quite lived up to the hype surrounding him a few years ago and his flakiness makes it difficult to back him with much confidence, with his timid defeat to Federer at Wimbledon made a mockery of the Baby Fed nickname, but a man of his vast ability could go far if the draw opens up.

Dominic Thiem

The Austrian remains impressive on clay but less convincing on other surfaces. In Paris the 23-year-old demolished Djokovic in their quarter-final. But at Wimbledon the world No8 lost to the experienced Tomas Berdych and he has disappointed during the build-up to the US Open, falling to Kevin Anderson in Washington, Diego Schwartzman in Montreal and David Ferrer in Cincinnati. He faces a fight to better his fourth-round appearances in 2014 and 2016.

Nick Kyrgios

“Tennis is just a game,” the Australian said shortly before losing to Dimitrov in Cincinatti. It is one he plays better than most when he is fit and focused. But the problem is that moments like last week’s crushing win over Nadal are rare. The 22-year-old continues to mix flashes of brilliance with early retirements from matches and hints that he does not care enough about the sport. Before getting too excited about the world No18’s run in Cincinnati, remember that he has not been past the second round of a slam this year.

Keep an eye on...

With Djokovic, Murray and Wawrinka absent, there is a chance that we will see a few surprise faces in the latter stages. Look out for Denis Shapovalov, the Canadian teenager who stunned Nadal in Montreal. American fans will hope Sam Querrey can build on his semi-final appearance at Wimbledon, while John Isnerhas risen to 14th in the world after a strong run in Cincinnati, but Jack Sock’s form is not encouraging. Mostly the ground looks thin, though. Let’s all hope that 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro is up for a resurgence, then.

Liverpool humiliate Arsenal in horror show for Arsene Wenger

Liverpool have ripped apart woeful Arsenal in a 4-0 Premier League thumping at Anfield.

Goals from Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane before the break and Mohamed Salah and Daniel Sturridge after it secured a thoroughly convincing win against disjointed and disheartened opponents.

Victory continued Liverpool's unbeaten start to the season, moving them on to seven points, two off leaders Manchester United.

"I felt we controlled the game everywhere," Reds captain Jordan Henderson told Sky Sports. We try to make a statement every game we play and we certainly did that today."

Arsenal have lost their past two games and Sunday's shambolic performance will have made for ugly viewing for Arsene Wenger. Our performance on the day was disastrous."

The main talking point ahead of the game focused on Jurgen Klopp's bizarre decision to rest goalkeeper Simon Mignolet three games into the season, with Loris Karius starting.

But the German was a mere spectator in the first half as his tea-mates tore through sorry Arsenal, for whom Alexis Sanchez started for the first time this season, with Alexandre Lacazette on the bench.

Only a brilliant save by Petr Cech denied Salah after a glorious pass across the face of goal by the impressive Emre Can.

Firmino headed the opener from a Joe Gomez cross in the 17th minute, with Mane, released after a swift break, cutting in from the left and curling a low shot inside the far post to make it two five minutes before half-time.

In truth the Reds could have out of sight by the break, though, as Wenger's side were utterly outclassed.

Salah made it three in the 57th minute, robbing Hector Bellerin inside his own half after a clearance from a Gunners corner before racing towards goal and sliding the ball past Cech.

Another superb break then led to Salah flighting a cross to the back post where substitute Sturridge was on hand to head in number four.

Elsewhere, Cesc Fabregas and Alvaro Morata were on target as Chelsea swatted aside Everton 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Fabregas fired Chelsea in front after 27 minutes and Morata headed in a second before half-time as the holders moved within three points of United.

"We worked very good today," Morata said.

"It's not easy to play Everton and today the team did a good job."

New Zealand striker Chris Wood struck a debut equaliser in the second minute of added time for Burnley as they earned 1-1 draw with Tottenham.

Dele Alli scored early in the second half to put Spurs in front, but Wood, signed on Monday from Leeds and introduced as a 57th-minute substitute at Wembley, fired home the leveller into the bottom corner.

"I'm disappointed how we conceded the goal, disappointed because we showed a lack of concentration at the end," Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said.

Substitute Peter Crouch took advantage of a terrible defensive mix-up to earn Stoke a 1-1 draw at West Brom.

The 36-year-old was gifted the easiest of chances in the 77th minute when Baggies defender Ahmed Hegazi seemed to fail to heed a call from Ben Foster and sliced his clearance almost out of his goalkeeper's hands.

"It wasn't my finest goal, we will take them every day of the week," Crouch, who came off the bench to score, said.

Jay Rodriguez's first league goal for West Brom had put the hosts ahead in the 61st minute.

Floyd Mayweather Defeats Conor McGregor by 10th–Round TKO

With an aggressive showing in the 10th round, Floyd Mayweather defeated an exhausted Conor McGregor by TKO.

Mayweather commanded the latter part of the fight, landing heavy punches after taking the early rounds to feel out his opponent, who was making his boxing debut. 

McGregor had come out swinging, opening on the offensive and making a statement in the sense that he looked like he belonged. McGregor appeared in control in the early rounds as Mayweather struggled to land direct punches and took a handful of shots. McGregor’s size and reach advantage were on display. McGregor appeared to tire toward the end of the fifth round, and given Mayweather’s experience, the tenor of the fight began to shift.

But Mayweather came out firing in the sixth round, throwing a bevy of haymakers and turning up the aggression. At the halfway mark, the Showtime broadcast had the fight scored as a tie. McGregor caught another wind in the ninth round after Mayweather had largely commanded the pace. It didn’t last long, as McGregor came up visibly exhausted and his opponent continued to dominate the punching. The fight was closer than most had expected as the final stretch began, but Mayweather appeared to have a firm upper hand. 

Then he closed it out.

The fight itself came with remarkable levels of hype, with T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas playing host. A brief TV delay preceded the bout after pockets of viewers around the country experienced pay-per-view issues.

Mayweather, 40 entered the fight with a remarkable, undefeated career mark of 49–0 (26 by knockout). He moves to 50–0. McGregor, 29, made his boxing debut after a decorated UFC career in which he went 21–3.

Mayweather said after the fight that it was his last bout. 

La Liga round-up: Girona claim first win as Atletico Madrid score five

Defender Pedro Alcala wrote his name in the history books as Girona claimed their first ever win in La Liga thanks to a 1-0 home victory over Malaga.

Alcala scored what proved to be the winner in the 28th minute as the newly-promoted side built on their 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid on the opening day of the season.

Girona and last season's Segunda Division champions Levante both have four points from their first two games after 10-man Levante recovered from 2-0 down to draw with Deportivo La Coruna.

Goals from Fede Cartabia and Rechel Sidnei in the opening half-hour seemingly gave Deportivo control of the match, but Enis Bardhi pulled one back on 35 minutes with a stunning free-kick.

The home side were reduced to 10 men when Jose Luis Morales was shown a second yellow card 15 minutes from time, but still found an equaliser from the penalty spot after 84 minutes thanks to substitute Ivan Ivi.

Atletico Madrid scored twice in the first five minutes on their way to an emphatic 5-1 win at Las Palmas.

Angel Correa and Yannick Carrasco fired Atletico into an early 2-0 lead, before former West Ham loanee Jonathan Calleri pulled a goal back for Las Palmas in the 58th minute.

But the visitors sealed the points through Koke's double and, after Jonathan Viera was denied by Jan Oblak from the penalty spot nine minutes from time, Thomas Partey added a fifth at the death.

Lionel Messi also shrugged off the frustration of missing a penalty to reach another remarkable career landmark as Barcelona eased to a 2-0 victory atAlaves.

Paulo Dybala stars as Juventus rally to beat Genoa; Icardi lifts Inter at Roma

Paulo Dybala scored a hat trick as Juventus fought back from two goals down to beat Genoa 4-2.

Genoa had gone ahead at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in the opening minute when Miralem Pjanic scored an own goal.

And they quickly doubled their advantage when Andrej Galabinov scored from the spot in the seventh minute after Daniele Rugani had given away a penalty.

The comeback began in the 14th minute when Pjanic set up Dybala to score from close range.

The Argentina international pulled the Italian champions back to level terms from the penalty spot in the third minute of added time after Darko Lazovic handled in the area.

Juan Cuadrado put Juventus ahead on 62 minutes with an effort from inside the box.

And Dybala wrapped up the victory in the second minute of added time after being set up by Gonzalo Higuain.

Mauro Icardi scored twice as Inter Milan came from behind to win 3-1 at Roma.

Edin Dzeko gave Roma a half-time lead at the Stadio Olimpico and the hosts had hit the woodwork three times before Inter equalised.

Antonio Candreva fed Icardi, who turned and drilled in from inside the box to level the score after 67 minutes. And Inter ahead 10 minutes later through Icardi's close-range finish from Ivan Perisic's pass.

The visitors added a third with Perisic the provider again as Matias Vecino tucked in from close range.

Antonio Mirante scored an own goal in the ninth minute of added time as Benevento rescued an unlikely 1-1 draw against Bologna.

Bologna had taken the lead through Godfred Donsah in the 55th minute but Mirante's 99th minute strike ensured honours ended even.

Olympiakos beats Lamia 1-0, maintains perfect start

" Costas Fortounis' penalty in the 29th minute gave defending champion Olympiakos a 1-0 win over newcomer Lamia in the Greek league on Saturday.

Lamia was nominally the home team, but with its home ground still undergoing renovation, the game was played in Athens.

Olympiakos played with a man down in the last 20 minutes after defender Hrvoje Milic picked up a second yellow card for bringing down an opponent, although TV replays suggested there was no contact between the players.

Olympiakos has won both its games at the start of the season as it seeks a 20th title in 22 years.

Football: English Premier League wrap

Raheem Sterling came to Manchester City's rescue with a stoppage-time winner in a frenzied finale at Bournemouth, and Manchester United overcame Leicester's resistance to maintain its perfect English Premier League start.

Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini struck in the final 20 minutes to seal a 2-0 victory over Leicester on Saturday.

In reeling off three successive victories, United has scored 10 goals without reply to deliver an emphatic statement of its determination to win a first title since 2013.

"I'm not getting carried away," said manager Jose Mourinho, recalling last season's three-match opening winning streak before United tumbled to finish sixth.

City has experienced a trickier start to the season. But it avoided a second draw thanks to Sterling's intervention in the seventh minute of stoppage time to beat Bournemouth 2-1.

The relief was clear in the wild celebrations deemed excessive by the referee. Having already been booked, Sterling saw red after receiving a second yellow card.

There could be further recriminations. After police announced an investigation into the melee during the celebrations, City striker Sergio Aguero responded to video circulating on Twitter by posting: "About their steward, I did not hit anyone, this allegation is false, and the tv pictures prove it."

While City has collected seven points out of a possible nine, Bournemouth slumped to a third consecutive loss.Crystal Palace and West Ham are also winless. Palace was beaten by Swansea 2-0, while West Ham lost at Newcastle 3-0.

Newcastle picked up its first points along with fellow newcomer Brighton, which drew with 10-man Watford 0-0. Huddersfield extended the unbeaten start to its first Premier League campaign by holding Southampton 0-0.

City recovered after falling behind when Charlie Daniels spectacularly struck into the roof of the net from a tight angle. Gabriel Jesus leveled in the 21st minute but it took until Sterling's late deflected strike for City to prevail, triggering the outpouring of exuberance.

Sterling had already been booked and was shown a second yellow card.

"If you cannot celebrate with the fans the best solution is not to invite the fans," City manager Pep Guardiola said. "You can imagine how happy he is, how happy the fans are."Some spilled onto the pitch, with two arrested. Police officers also held back Benjamin Mendy and exchanged words with Aguero."Officers are reviewing CCTV of the pitch encroachment as part of an ongoing investigation to establish whether any other offences may have been committed," Dorset Police said in a statement. "This investigation is in the very early stages."

SUBSTITUTES DELIVER

At Old Trafford, Leicester was proving hard for United to break down. Even when the hosts won a penalty, Romelu Lukaku's spot kick was saved.Then the substitutes started to arrive and quickly delivered. After less than three minutes on the pitch, Rashford netted in the 70th from Henrikh Mkhitaryan's corner.Mkhitaryan then made way for Fellaini, who was on target in the 82nd with a goal all the substitutes played a part in. Rashford sent the ball down the left flank to Jesse Lingard, who had replaced Anthony Martial, and his shot was turned in by Fellaini from close range.

BENITEZ BOOST

Newcastle lost its opening matches to Tottenham and Huddersfield without scoring but managed to hit three against West Ham for its first win. Joselu, Ciaran Clark and Aleksandar Mitrovic scored to lift the gloom surrounding Rafa Benitez's side.

DE BOER DESPAIR

Palace isn't only winless at the start of Frank de Boer's reign as manager. The south London club also hasn't scored. Tammy Abraham and Jordan Ayew did net for Swansea at Selhurst Park as the south Wales club claimed its first win.

UNBEATEN WATFORD

Watford was a man short from the 24th minute against Brighton, after Miguel Britos was sent off for a studs-up tackle on Anthony Knockaert, but still prolonged its unbeaten start. It was a third red card in 20 league games for Britos.Brighton hit the woodwork twice, but a draw did enable the south-coast club to collect its first point in the topflight since 1983.

RSL player charged with having sex with a minor released after posting bail

Real Salt Lake homegrown player Ricardo Velazco was booked Friday on charges of unlawful sexual activity with a minor. 

He posted the $15,000 bail and was released later in the day, according to his attorney, Greg Skordas. No court date had been set as of Friday evening.

Velazco, 24, was charged Thursday with the third-degree felony. According to the charging papers, he had sex with a 15-year-old girl May 20. He was 23 at the time. The teenager since has turned 16. The police do not have evidence to suggest the alleged sexual activity was forced.

Law enforcement became aware of the alleged crime when the teenager’s friends reported it, said Blake Nakamura, chief deputy of the Salt Lake County district attorney’s office. 

The charges were based on an investigation that included a statement given by the teenager. Skordas said Velazco was contacted early on by the police and also gave a statement. 

“It is not a defense to this crime that a minor lies about her age,” Skordas said.

He declined to confirm or deny if that had happened in this case.

Real Salt Lake put out a statement Wednesday saying the team would cooperate with local authorities and MLS’ separate investigation but would wait until the conclusion of judicial proceedings to take any action beyond the league‘s suspension of Velazco.

The team has declined to comment further before the conclusion of the case.

Neymar contributes to two goals, Cavani scores brace as Paris St Germain stay perfect

Neymar had a hand in two goals as Paris St Germain continued their 100 percent start to the new Ligue 1 campaign with a comfortable 3-0 home win over Saint-Etienne.

Edinson Cavani put PSG in front after 19 minutes from the penalty spot after being pulled down when trying to get on the end of a flick from the Brazil forward, who left Barcelona earlier this month in a world-record £200.6 million deal

Captain Thiago Motta added another from close range early in the second half after Neymar's free kick had caused havoc in the visitors' penalty area.

Cavani netted a late third with a neat backheel finish to seal a fourth-straight Ligue 1 victory as PSG moved three points clear of champions Monaco, who host Marseille on Sunday.

St Etienne had also won their first three league matches, and without conceding a goal, but were soon on the back foot as Neymar revelled in taking centre stage at Parc des Princes once again.

After 19 minutes, the Brazilian looked to release Cavani into the penalty area, where he was tugged back by Saidy Janko and the referee pointed to the spot.

The Uruguay frontman picked himself up before dispatching a low penalty into the bottom-left corner, which had too much power for goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier.

St Etienne had a golden opportunity to equalise in the 26th minute when Jonathan Bamba sped clear down the right and into the PSG penalty area, but could not find a composed finish as goalkeeper Alphonse Areola came out to block.

PSG doubled their lead six minutes into the second half, with Neymar again involved in the build-up.

The former Barcelona man whipped a deep free kick from the right through the St Etienne penalty area, where fellow Brazilian Marquinhos chested the ball back across for Motta to stab in from close range.

It was almost 3-0 after 66 minutes when Angel Di Maria sent a long-range curling free kick goalwards, with the ball bouncing onto the foot of the left-hand post with Ruffier struggling to get across.

To their credit, the visitors continued to try to counter, as Bamba scampered clear only to again be thwarted by Areola's quick reflexes.

At the other end, Ruffier had to be alert when a cross from Di Maria was diverted back towards his own goal by Loic Perin, which the keeper blocked with a reaction save before Cavani lashed the loose ball wide from point-blank range.

PSG substitute Yuri Berchiche almost grabbed a late fourth, but the Spanish left-back, making his debut after signing from Real Sociedad, dragged a shot across goal and wide of the far post.

With two minutes left, Ruffier produced an acrobatic stop to push a 25-yard curling shot from Giovani Lo Celso over the crossbar.

The St Etienne stopper, though, was eventually beaten again when Cavani flicked the ball in following a low cross from the right by substitute Julian Draxler.

Greece edges Italy at home

The countdown to EuroBasket 2017 continued this week as nations around Europe prepare for the tournament later this month. The standout contest on Thursday saw Greece claim a home victory over Italy.

In Athens, the hosts were pushed all the way by the visiting Italy as the game tumbled into a tenso overtime period. Both these nations will line up at EuroBasket 2017 next week, and this game will send both into the tournament in good shape. Greece may have the win, but Italy will be pleased to have gone so close in the Greek capital.

Italy vs. Greece, 70-73 OT

Day 2 of the Acropolis tournament saw Greece take a 20-16 lead after the first frame. Italy drew to within two points at the long break, before the hosts moved ahead again through thirty minutes. The Azzurri showed its fighting spirit to fight back in the fourth act and close regular time at 64-64. In the overtime period, Nick Calathes and Konstantinos Sloukas drained from beyond the arc to steal the victory.

Georgios Printezis topped the winners with 19 points, while Daniel Hackett hauled the same amount for the Italians.

Boxing: Pacquiao tips Floyd Mayweather to beat Conor McGregor – but expects a ‘boring’ fight

AFTER months of deafening hype, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Conor McGregor will finally step into a boxing ring together this weekend – and Manny Pacquiao is not expecting a classic fight.

The Filipino boxing icon and senator, who lost on points against Mayweather in 2015, has backed the American to beat the Irish mixed martial artist, who is taking part in his first professional boxing match.

“There is no way he will be able to land a meaningful punch on Floyd,” said Pacquiao, who expects the two fighters to do plenty of ‘running’ in the super welterweight fight.

“How could he? He has no professional experience in boxing.

“McGregor has no chance in this fight. In fact, it could be very boring.”

Mayweather has beaten champions including Pacquiao, Canelo Alvarez, Miguel Cotto Juan Manuel Marquez and Oscar De La Hoya in an unblemished 49-fight pro career.

McGregor, meanwhile, is the current UFC lightweight champion and was an all-Ireland boxing champion at youth level.

But Pacquiao does not feel McGregor’s credentials will be enough against Mayweather – and is far more interested in the middleweight fight between Canelo and Gennady Golovkin in Las Vegas next month.

“The real fight and the best fight is Golovkin v Canelo,” said Pacquiao. “The best v the best. That’s the fight I will be watching.”

Pacquiao’s management are in the final stages of confirming his rematch against Australian Jeff Horn, which is due to take place in Brisbane in November.

The Filipino star suffered a shock defeat against Horn last month – with many pundits feeling he was unfairly denied victory on points.

UEFA Europa League group stage draw

Full group stage draw

Group A: Villarreal (ESP), Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR), Astana (KAZ), Slavia Praha (CZE)

Group B: Dynamo Kyiv (UKR), Young Boys (SUI), Partizan (SRB), Skënderbeu (ALB)

Group C: Braga (POR), Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL), Hoffenheim (GER),Başakşehir (TUR)

Group D: AC Milan (ITA), Austria Wien (AUT), Rijeka (CRO), AEK Athens (GRE)

Group E: Lyon (FRA), Everton (ENG), Atalanta (ITA), Apollon Limassol (CYP)

Group F: København (DEN), Lokomotiv Moskva (RUS), Sheriff (MDA), Zlín (CZE)

Group G: Viktoria Plzeň (CZE), FCSB (ROU), Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR), Lugano (SUI)

Group H: Arsenal (ENG), BATE Borisov (BLR), Köln (GER), Crvena zvezda (SRB)

Group I: Salzburg (AUT), Marseille (FRA), Vitória SC (POR), Konyaspor (TUR)

Group J: Athletic Club (ESP), Hertha Berlin (GER), Zorya (UKR), Östersund (SWE)

Group K: Lazio (ITA), Nice (FRA), Zulte Waregem (BEL), Vitesse (NED)

Group L: Zenit (RUS), Real Sociedad (ESP), Rosenborg (NOR), Vardar (FYROM)