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Spain ‘not good enough’ after early World Cup exit

By WTOP Staff

PAUL LOGOTHETIS
AP Sports Writer

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Spain’s players had different explanations for the team’s early World Cup exit.

Captain Iker Casillas said there was lack of commitment, midfielder Xabi Alonso thought there wasn’t enough hunger. According to Fernando Torres, Spain was “just not good enough.”

Chile’s 2-0 victory on Wednesday meant the 2010 World Cup champion is the first title holder to exit after just two games following the opening 5-1 loss to the Netherlands.

Spain’s squad of 23 players featured 16 who were part of its World Cup success in South Africa. Casillas, Alonso and Xavi Hernandez had been the engine behind the team’s triumphs on the world stage, but were left exposed in Brazil.

“We didn’t know how to maintain our hunger or that conviction needed to win a tournament. The joy and success we’ve experienced is over,” Alonso said from the Maracana stadium. “We lost our knowhow, which has helped us win so many of these important games. It doesn’t feel like our other tournaments.”

Spain’s players agreed that they did not read their opponents well, or know when to clamp down and control the games through keeping possession as it has been known to do.

“The commitment wasn’t there,” said Casillas, who owned up to perhaps his two worst performances in 156 appearances for Spain. “From the very first moment everything went awry.”

Alonso, who along with Casillas and Xavi may have seen their international careers come to an end, said Spain was not mentally prepared for Brazil, while the team’s physical state was not at its peak either.

“Normally cycles come to an end after a defeat. Maybe it would be best to think about making changes,” Alonso said.

Torres did not want to jump that far ahead, as the Spain striker put a positive spin on the collapse, even suggesting he would not have changed a thing.

“We went down playing our style. It’s what got us here and we’re going to maintain it,” Torres said. “We didn’t do anything different than what we did in South Africa or in the two Euros we won. We came here with the same mentality and approached games in the same way.

“Those times we won, this time we lost.”

Spain’s demise was more made glaring by coach Vicente del Bosque’s decision to stick with an aging group of players that had already won everything in international and club football.

“We thought we were in good shape, it was tough to even choose the 11 players that would line up, but the reality was quite different,” Del Bosque said. “The second half against Holland and the first half against Chile were like a weight crashing down on us.”

Del Bosque said the post-mortem would include deciding on his own future despite being signed up to lead Spain’s bid to win a third straight European Championship title in 2016.

Spain wraps up its worst World Cup since France ’98 on Monday in the Group B finale against Australia in the southern city of Curitiba.

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Follow Paul Logothetis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PaulLogoAP

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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