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Brazil’s misery worsens with Argentina in final

By WTOP Staff

KARL RITTER
Associated Press

SAO PAULO (AP) — After their own World Cup hopes fell apart in the most humiliating way, Brazilians must now grapple with the prospect that things could get even worse.

Argentina could win.

After beating the Netherlands in a shootout Wednesday, Brazil’s football archrival is now tantalizingly close to winning the World Cup for the first time since Diego Maradona lifted the trophy in 1986.

To many Brazilians, Argentina becoming world champion on Brazilian soil would be the worst imaginable ending to the monthlong tournament.

“We have a rule: we always go against the Argentines,” said Izabele Chiamolere, a 39-year-old physician from Sao Paulo. Like most Brazilians who attended Wednesday’s semifinal, she cheered for the Netherlands.

Or rather, against Argentina.

Chiamolere said that on the train to the Itaquerao Stadium before the game, Argentine fans were already taunting Brazilians with a song that’s become their anthem at this World Cup.

With a melody based on “Bad Moon Rising,” the song asks Brazilians how it feels to know that Argentina will dominate Brazil in its own backyard, that Messi will lift the cup and that “Maradona is greater than Pele.”

When the Argentine fans first arrived in Brazil with their Lionel Messi shirts, pope masks and funny hats, Brazilians tended to just laugh along with this song. Now it’s starting to get under the skin for some people.

“If the Argentines win they will become very annoying,” said Giselle Giannocco, a 40-year-old professor of physiology from the Federal University of Sao Paulo.

At the heart of this intense South American rivalry is the competition between two giants of world football and the never-ending bickering over which player was greater, Pele or Maradona.

But it goes deeper than that.

Brazilians and Argentines get along in general and relations between the two countries are good — Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff picked Argentina for her first foreign trip after being elected. Still, Chiamolere claimed, Argentines have a reputation of acting arrogantly toward their neighbors on the continent.

“They think they are the most European country in Latin America,” she said. “In the past, in many ways they were better than us. But after all the political problems that both countries have had, nowadays we are doing better than them.”

Argentina today has a much smaller economy than Brazil and less political clout on the world stage. The Argentine fans, though, don’t seem to be bothered about that balance of economic power — as long as they can claim supremacy in football.

Their song at the World Cup includes the dubious claim that Argentina is Brazil’s “papa.”

Even though Argentina has more Copa America titles, Brazil is the most successful nation on the biggest stage, with five World Cup titles to Argentina’s two.

The gap could narrow on Sunday, though, which is why so many Brazilians will cheer for Germany in the final in Rio de Janeiro even though the Germans badly bruised Brazil’s self-esteem with a 7-1 rout in the semifinals.

As the German goals poured in, Argentine schadenfreude spilled onto social media with cheeky references to the ‘How-does-it-feel?’ song.

But some Argentine fans insisted they felt no joy when Brazil was thoroughly beaten.

“I was sad because I was hoping for an Argentina-Brazil final,” said Alejandro Salerno, a 48-year-old from Buenos Aires who traveled to Sao Paulo for the Netherlands game. “Now we feel that we have to beat Germany. In a South American World Cup, a South American team has to win.”

Sentiment will certainly be divided among Brazilians on Sunday when Messi leads his Argentina team onto the pitch of Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium, the spiritual home of Brazilian football.

____

Follow Karl Ritter on Twitter at http://twitter.com/karl_ritter

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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