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Argentina sticks to script with late winner

By WTOP Staff

KARL RITTER
Associated Press

SAO PAULO (AP) — Argentina’s theme at this World Cup seems to be scrappy wins with Lionel Messi pulling through at the last minute to save the day.

This time he didn’t score on his own, but set the stage for Angel Di Maria to score an extra-time winner against Switzerland.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s beautiful or ugly,” Di Maria said. “Only that Argentina won and will play another game in the tournament.”

Argentina will play Belgium in the quarterfinals.

Except for its final group-stage win over Nigeria, Argentina has won its matches in Brazil in the same manner — grinding down its opponents rather than dazzling them with brilliant football.

In the first half Tuesday, Argentina struggled to find paths through Switzerland’s five-man midfield, and it was the Swiss that produced the best chances.

Granit Xhaka pushed Sergio Romero to a great save and Josip Drmic spoiled a great opportunity when he tried to chip the ball over the Argentina goalkeeper.

When cracks started opening in the defense in the second half, goalkeeper Diego Benaglio kept Switzerland in the game, stopping Gonzalo Higuain’s header and Messi’s low shot in the 78th minute.

Benaglio also saved a powerful attempt by Di Maria in extra time, and it looked like the Swiss would be able to push the game into a penalty shootout.

Then, in the 118th, Rodrigo Palacio won the ball in midfield and fed Messi, who dribbled down the middle in trademark fashion, escaping a challenge from Swiss defender Fabian Schaer before poking the ball to Di Maria. Unmarked, the Real Madrid player beat Benaglio with his 10th goal in Argentina’s colors.

“What’s important is that we moved on to the next stage,” said Messi, who has scored four of Argentina’s seven goals, including an injury-time winner against Iran. “It was difficult. We knew it was going to be a hard match.”

Swiss substitute Blerim Dzemaili nearly equalized right before the end but his header hit the post, and the rebound bounced off his knee and wide of the goal.

Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, whose brother died at age 81 one the eve of the match, said his team leaves the tournament with “our heads high.”

“We made life very tough for them,” he said. “They managed to keep their cool. It shows Argentina has a good team.”

Hitzfeld said it was his last match as a football coach. He had earlier said he would quit after the tournament.

His Argentine counterpart, Alejandro Sabella, said he thought his team played a “wonderful match,” though he conceded there’s room for improvement.

“It was a match that we deserved to win,” said Sabella. “The first half was very even. They had two clear chances and after that the match was ours.”

Argentina will play its next match without left back Marcos Rojo, who is suspended after receiving his second yellow card on Tuesday.

___

Lineups:

Argentina: Sergio Romero; Pablo Zabaleta, Federico Fernandez, Ezequiel Garay, Marcos Rojo (Jose Maria Basanta, 105); Fernando Gago (Lucas Biglia, 106), Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria; Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Ezequiel Lavezzi (Rodrigo Palacio, 74).

Switzerland: Diego Benaglio; Stephan Lichtsteiner, Johan Djourou, Fabian Schaer, Ricardo Rodriquez; Xherdan Shaqiri, Gokhan Inler, Granit Xhaka (Gelson Fernandes, 66), Valon Behrami, Admir Mehmedi (Blerim Dzemaili, 113); Josip Drmic (Haris Seferovic, 82).

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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