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Switzerland falls short of shutting down Messi

By WTOP Staff

ARON HELLER
Associated Press

SAO PAULO (AP) — Ottmar Hitzfeld boldly promised his Switzerland squad would slow down Lionel Messi, and he nearly kept his word.

For 118 minutes in the second round of the World Cup, the feisty Swiss squad frustrated the Argentine superstar. But with a penalty shootout looming, Messi broke free and set up the winner for Angel Di Maria, giving Argentina a 1-0 win in extra time.

Messi scored four of his team’s six goals in the three group wins, but for most of Tuesday’s match he was well contained by the Swiss defense.

Double-teamed and sometimes even triple-teamed, Messi only managed a pair of quality shots. Messi often found himself on the turf, pushed and shoved by the relentless Swiss defenders. Once he even shoved back in frustration.

But ultimately he once again made the difference in a World Cup match.

“We know that Messi in one second can decide a match. He has sufficient qualities for that,” said Hitzfeld, whose older brother died shortly before the game.

The previous day Hitzfeld had described Messi as a “problem” that could be solved, and said his team would show the world how to stop the Argentina forward. For much of the match it did, until Messi made a surging run toward the Swiss area and laid the ball off to Di Maria, who finally beat Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio.

The devastated Swiss players dropped to the ground in despair but still managed to recover and nearly found an equalizer a minute later when midfielder Blerim Dzemaili’s header hit the post and then the rebound bounced off his knee and wide of the goal.

“We played the game we wanted to play. We did the performance we wanted to bring. I am very sad for the team, very sad for my teammates because we showed that we were a good side and at the end they won with a bit of luck and experience,” said Gelson Fernandes, who went on as a substitute in the 66th minute. “If you leave a little space for Leo Messi, you know what he can do.”

A win over Argentina would have equaled Switzerland’s greatest World Cup achievement, putting the team in the quarterfinals for the first time since it hosted the tournament in 1954. With only a single loss in in 18 matches leading up to the World Cup, the Swiss surged to No. 6 in the FIFA rankings and earned a top group seeding in Brazil.

Defender Johan Djourou said the young team would learn from the experience and continue to grow in the future. But for now they were heartbroken.

“It’s the worst. I would rather take a defeat if you take four or five (goals) and you say ‘OK, we were not here today, we were rubbish,'” he said. “We managed well all game but at the end what matters is the result.”

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Follow Heller on Twitter @aronhellerap

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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