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Brazil’s Fred says it was a ‘clear penalty’ on him

By WTOP Staff

TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer

TERESOPOLIS, Brazil (AP) — Brazil striker Fred has defended his actions that led to the controversial penalty in the World Cup opener against Croatia, saying he was clearly fouled.

Speaking publicly for the first time after Brazil’s 3-1 win over Croatia on Thursday in Sao Paulo, Fred came to the defense of Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura.

“It was a clear penalty,” Fred said in a video released by the Brazilian football federation on Friday. “There is no such thing as more penalty or less penalty.”

Replays showed there was minimal contact by the Croatian defender before Fred fell, but Nishimura made the call and Neymar converted the 71st-minute penalty to break a 1-1 deadlock and send Brazil on its way to victory.

The Croatians were furious with the decision and said it helped decide the match. Coach Niko Kovac described it as “a robbery” and said the “the whole world saw the big mistake” by the referee. He said that “if that was a penalty, we should be playing basketball. Those kinds of fouls are penalized there.”

But Fred said he was brought down by defender Dejan Lovren while trying to make a turn toward goal from inside the area.

“I controlled the ball and was ready to turn when there was a charge on my shoulder,” Fred said. “I couldn’t reach the ball anymore, lost my balance and fell.”

He added: “There was a charge on my left shoulder and that kept me from scoring the goal while I was inside the small area. It was a clear penalty. There were a lot of people saying it wasn’t a penalty. But there was a charge and it was enough to pull me away from the ball and keep me from scoring.”

Fred didn’t talk to reporters after Thursday’s match because he was among the players selected for doping tests.

The penalty was widely criticized, mostly against the referee’s decision. But France striker Loic Remy said Fred should be “punished” for the way he won the call.

“He does it well, throws himself at the right time because you can see that there’s no foul at all. Lovren doesn’t pull him back,” Remy, who played two seasons with Fred for Lyon, said Friday.

FIFA declined to criticize the call and said Nishimura was in good position to make a decision. Massimo Busacca, head of FIFA’s refereeing department, did not say if Nishimura would control more games. He said the game evaluation would be based on 90 minutes, not just one call.

“We are human,” Busacca said. “There is not one human in life that is not committing a mistake. It’s part of life. The referee lives with this responsibility.”

Fred said that FIFA had already warned all the teams that referees would be watchful of players grabbing each other inside the area during the World Cup.

“FIFA sent a refereeing commission to talk to every player in all of the national teams and said that grabbing inside the area wouldn’t be allowed and the referees would be calling penalties,” he said.

The Brazilian striker stressed that he is “not a player who is falling all the time.” He said there was a similar foul against him in Brazil’s last warm-up match before the World Cup, against Serbia, but he said he continued the play and was able to score despite being grabbed.

___

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Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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