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Scolari: Young Brazil squad feeling the pressure

By WTOP Staff

TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer

TERESOPOLIS, Brazil (AP) — Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari admits that a lack of experience is hurting Brazil’s young squad at the World Cup.

The coach is also blaming the some of the team’s struggles, which include a disappointing performance that nearly led to its elimination by Chile in the second round, on the pressure of needing to succeed in front of the home fans.

Brazil has only six players with experience of past World Cups. Some of its top stars, including Neymar, are playing on football’s biggest stage for the first time.

“Of course it’s a concern, we have a young team,” Scolari said after Brazil’s win over Chile in a penalty shootout. “Even the most experienced players will feel the pressure of a World Cup. Everybody feels it. If you say that you don’t feel it, you are lying. It’s a different situation emotionally, it’s never simple. We have a lot of young players, and little by little they will gain more of this experience.”

The veteran coach used the example of young midfielder Willian, who is one of the team’s best penalty takers in training but sent his shot wide in Saturday’s shootout against Chile in Belo Horizonte.

“We will be gaining more experience in each match we play,” Scolari said. “Hopefully, in the next matches we will be making fewer mistakes because of this lack of experience. We can’t lose anymore.”

Brazil will play South American rival Colombia in the quarterfinals Friday in the northeastern city of Fortaleza.

Scolari said Brazil’s disappointing second-half performance against Chile can be blamed on the pressure felt by the players, who started feeling more and more anxious as the match neared its end and elimination became a possibility.

Several Brazilian players were crying after the match was over, including Neymar and captain Thiago Silva. Goalkeeper Julio Cesar, who made two penalty saves, had watery eyes even before the shootout started.

Only five players from this year’s team were in the 2010 World Cup — Cesar, Silva, Dani Alves, Maicon and Ramires. Fred didn’t make it to South Africa but was in the squad for the 2006 tournament in Germany.

Scolari brought a group of psychologists to work with the players when the team began its World Cup preparations more than a month ago, with each player undergoing individual sessions.

“We’ve been getting prepared emotionally since we got here,” Brazil defensive midfielder Fernandinho said Monday. “The talks we had with the psychologists were very good, but I think that now it’s up to the players. We can talk among ourselves to try to change this. Everybody knows what we need to do.”

Scolari had previously said he didn’t think his squad lacked the experience needed for the World Cup. When he announced his squad, he said that despite their young age, most had been playing in some of the world’s top leagues for a long time. Most also participated in last year’s Confederations Cup, the warm-up tournament which Brazil won at home.

Scolari has always said that anything but the title will be considered a failure for Brazil, and has maintained since the start that his team will win the World Cup.

“People are demanding it from us, because we said we would win,” he said. “Now we have to give it back to them. If you make a promise, you must deliver. This is what the players are doing.”

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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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