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It’s finally here! Brazil World Cup begins

By WTOP Staff

JOHN LEICESTER
AP Sports Writer

SAO PAULO (AP) — “Tudo bem” — all good — as the Brazilians say.

Well, almost.

With a nationwide spasm of excitement but also tear gas, the country that sees itself as the artful soul of football but is conflicted about spending billions of dollars on hosting its showcase tournament kicked off one of the most troubled World Cups ever.

It roared to life Thursday with a 3-1 win for the home team in a stadium barely readied on time for the first of 64 matches in 12 cities.

The end of Brazil’s 64-year wait for the World Cup to return to the country of Pele wasn’t all parties and samba. There were protests in five host cities and chants against President Dilma Rousseff. But it wasn’t close to the chaos that wracked last year’s tuneup tournament, the Confederations Cup, when hundreds of thousands poured into the streets.

After a funky opening ceremony featuring J-Lo in low-cut sparkling green and dancers dressed as trees, Brazil’s beloved national team, the star-studded Selecao, made an earnest if not brilliant start to the serious business of re-conquering planet futebol. Already the only nation with five world titles, a sixth victory in the July 13 final could assuage much — but not all — public anger about spending $11.5 billion on the tournament.

Brazil’s first opponent was a resilient but ultimately outclassed Croatian side. The Itaquerao Stadium, which suffered chronic delays and worker deaths in its construction, was a sea of buttercup yellow, the color of the national team. Brazilian fans expect this crop of stars to deliver not just victory but football as art, the “Jogo bonito” — the beautiful game — that was the hallmark of great Brazilian teams.

The inaugural game had everything aficionados love — passion, drama, spectacle, goals and a refereeing controversy that immediately set fingers wagging on Twitter, showing how players, officials and organizers must live under the microscope of unprecedented social media scrutiny.

Brazilian fans call themselves “torcidas” — derived from the Portuguese word “to twist” and evoking how football puts them through the wringer. Brazil made a nightmare start. Marcelo looked stunned, the crowd of 62,103 wailed and grown men watching in bars let out howls of despairing laughter when the Brazilian defender scored an own-goal that gave Croatia an unlikely 1-0 lead after just 11 minutes.

“I’m very emotional, happy, and happy that it’s over,” said spectator Ricieri Garbelini, visibly drained. “I was nervous for five minutes at the beginning, and at the end.”

The mood lifted when Neymar lived up to his hype and tied the game for Brazil in the 29th minute, unleashing an ear-splitting roar from the crowd and across the nation. In the rundown city of Indaiatuba, a two-hour drive from Sao Paulo, tattooed men in undershirts celebrated by pounding on restaurant tables. Fans watched the game wearing shirts bearing the name of the 22-year-old.

Even football-loving Pope Francis got a touch of World Cup fever. He sent a video message on Brazilian television before the match, saying the world’s most popular sport can promote peace and solidarity.

Demonstrating the love-hate relationship Brazilians have with developed with this World Cup, the stadium crowd made hairs stand on end with its rousing rendition of the national anthem, but also chanted against Rousseff and FIFA, the governing body of football.

The crowd booed Rousseff again when the stadium’s jumbo screens showed her celebrating Neymar’s second goal — scored from the penalty spot in the 71st minute. He thrust his arms in the air and the nation did likewise.

The Croatians were furious that the Japanese referee, Yuichi Nishimura, let himself be hood-winked by Fred. The Brazilian striker won the penalty by making it look as though he’d been hauled down by Croatian defender Dejan Lovren.

“If that was a penalty, we should be playing basketball,” said Croatia coach Niko Kovac. “That is shameful, this is not a World Cup referee. He had one kind of criteria for them and another for us.”

Oscar scored the third for Brazil, and the celebration was on.

But despite repeated promises from government officials that Brazil would be ready, there were problems at the stadium: The lighting failed in one corner, flickering off, on, off and finally back on again after the late-afternoon kickoff. Brazilian organizers blamed a fault with the power supply and said it would be looked at before the next match.

There were protests in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Brasilia and Belo Horizonte. Police fired canisters of tear gas and stun grenades to push back more than 300 demonstrators who gathered along a Sao Paulo highway. Police also used tear gas against protesters in central Rio.

“I’m totally against the Cup,” said protester and university student Tameres Mota. “We’re in a country where the money doesn’t go to the community, and meanwhile we see all these millions spent on stadiums.”

___

AP writers Janie McCauley in Sao Paulo and Joji Sakurai in Indaiatuba, Brazil, contributed.

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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