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England, Italy squads full of World Cup newcomers

By WTOP Staff

ANDREW DAMPF
AP Sports Writer

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — One thing is for certain when England plays Italy in Manaus on Saturday — there will be plenty of World Cup newcomers on the field.

Both teams have 17 players with no previous World Cup experience on their 23-man squads, an unusual situation for two of football’s traditional powers. Here is a look at some of the most exciting tournament debutantes on both teams:

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ITALY:

CIRO IMMOBILE: The blonde-haired striker led Serie A with 22 goals — none of them penalties — for Torino, then completed an 18.5-million euro ($25 million) transfer to German power Borussia Dortmund days before traveling to Brazil. Italy coach Cesare Prandelli considers him an alternative to Balotelli at center forward, and with his current form there are growing calls back home for him to start.

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LORENZO INSIGNE: The diminutive Napoli winger was a controversial selection ahead of Giuseppe Rossi but he appears to have carried over his form from the end of the domestic season, when he scored twice in a 3-1 win over Fiorentina in the Italian Cup final. He paired with Immobile in attack en route to winning the Serie B title with Pescara two years ago. Like Immobile, he comes from the Naples region and the pair communicate in Neapolitan dialect. He was married two weeks before traveling to Brazil.

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MARCO VERRATTI: At 21, this talented midfielder is the youngest member of Italy’s squad but he’s already been a regular at French champion Paris Saint-Germain the past two seasons. He also got his start on the Pescara side with Immobile and Insigne in 2011-12 and Prandelli appreciates his versatility. Considered the heir apparent to playmaker Andrea Pirlo, Verratti is expected to line up next to Pirlo against England in a more traditional midfield position. Pirlo said this week that Verratti “will become one of the best midfielders in Europe.”

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MATTEO DARMIAN: A surprise inclusion in Italy’s squad, this versatile fullback only made his Azzurri debut a couple of weeks ago in a warm-up match with Ireland. Now he appears ready to start against England at right back. Prandelli admires his ability to play on either the left or the right, and Darmian began his career as a center back. He started his professional career in AC Milan’s youth system and was a key member of Torino this past season, teaming with Immobile and Alessio Cerci, another new Italy forward.

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GABRIEL PALETTA: Italy is known for producing strong defenders so it raised eyebrows when Prandelli called up this Argentine-born center back for a friendly against Spain in March. But the 28-year-old Parma player impressed against the World Cup holder and now appears set to start against England. Along with Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero, he was a member of the Argentina under-20 team that won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. He gained Italian citizenship through his great grandfather, who emigrated from Calabria.

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ENGLAND

LUKE SHAW

The 18-year-old defender was picked ahead of boyhood idol Ashley Cole as the backup to the assured Leighton Baines at left back despite having made just one international appearance before the squad was announced. Although also dangerous going forward, Shaw’s best hope of playing on Saturday will be as an impact substitute.

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RAHEEM STERLING

The emergence of Raheem Sterling has softening the blow for Roy Hodgson of Theo Walcott being ruled out through injury. The 19-year-old Liverpool winger can produce devastating bursts of pace and if he doesn’t start will likely come off the bench against Italy.

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JACK WILSHERE

After England exited the European Championship in 2012, Roy Hodgson identified Jack Wilshere as one of the players who could, in the future, provide the creativity missing in Ukraine.

But the Arsenal midfielder has been held back by injuries. Since breaking his left foot during England’s win over Denmark in March, Wilshere only managed two substitutes’ appearances for Arsenal before linking up with the England squad. Now Wilshere will be hoping he can make an impact from the bench in Brazil.

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ADAM LALLANA

England coach Roy Hodgson sprang a surprise by calling up Adam Lallana for the November friendlies against Chile and Germany, and the versatile attacking midfielder retained his place in the squad for the draw with Denmark in March. After the 25-year-old Lallana maintained his lively goal-scoring form for Southampton, he is now in line to start for England against Italy to provide an element of unpredictability.

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ROSS BARKLEY

While Wilshere has been seen as England’s future midfield star, Ross Barkley may be an even bigger talent. The 20-year-old Barkley had a breakthrough season with Everton in the Premier League, scoring spectacular goals and setting up many others. He showed in England’s warm-up games that he’s not afraid to take on opponents one-on-one when given the chance.

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Rob Harris can be followed at www.twitter.com/RobHarris

Andrew Dampf can be followed at www.twitter.com/asdampf

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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