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5 high- and lowlights of most memorable World Cup

By WTOP Staff

JOHN LEICESTER
AP Sports Writer

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Marcelo looked wide-eyed, stunned when he scored the first goal of the World Cup … against his own team. Hardly the most auspicious of starts for Brazil. But that blooper just 11 minutes into the tournament was soon forgiven and forgotten as Brazil went on to win that opening game and the 2014 World Cup quickly flowered into a roaring success, confounding doom and gloom merchants who predicted Brazil couldn’t pull it off without major protests and problems.

The stadiums were (just about) ready in time. Airports held up under the strain of fans and teams crisscrossing South America’s largest country. Players came ready to rumble, well prepared for hot conditions. Coaches embraced positive and ambitious tactics.

Costa Rica beating four-time champion Italy and two-time champion Uruguay on a white-knuckle ride to the quarterfinals exemplified how supposedly “small” teams showed no fear of illustrious opponents.

Shockingly in some instances of violent and reckless play, referees showed fewer yellow and red cards per game than at any World Cup since 1986. Their leniency, letting play flow, and team tactics of forward-minded, attacking football and quick counterattacks produced exhilarating and engrossing end-to-end games and what will be a record goals tally if Germany and Argentina in Sunday’s final and Brazil against the Netherlands in the third-place match score five more.

Here are five high- and lowlights that helped make the most memorable World Cup in decades:

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BRAZIL IMPLODES: Germany skewering Brazil with five goals in 19 minutes in their semifinal was the football equivalent of the scene in “Bambi” when a hunter kills the fawn’s mother. Watching such a tragedy befall the five-time champion at its home World Cup became difficult even for some German fans, who later said they just wanted the torturing of Brazil to stop. Second-half substitute Andre Schuerrle had other ideas, scoring two more for a record-breaking 7-1 trauma for the football superpower that gave the world Pele. By the end, the overwhelmingly Brazilian crowd in Belo Horizonte’s Mineirao stadium feted German touches of the ball with shouts of “Ole!”

It was surreal, and one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history.

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NEYMAR KNEED: One of the greatest injustices of the World Cup was Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo letting play run on as Neymar howled in agony face down in the turf, his third vertebra fractured. Neymar later said he could have been paralyzed had the knee to his lower back from Colombian defender Juan Camilo Zuniga hit two centimeters (less than an inch) closer to his spine. The injury in the quarterfinals put the 22-year-old out of the only World Cup he’ll ever play on home soil and robbed the tournament of its Brazilian superstar.

Without its best player, the Brazil team was destroyed by Germany.

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HUNGRY FOR ITALIAN: Luis Suarez likes a varied diet. Having previously been banned for biting a Dutch player (Otman Bakkal) and a Serbian (Branislav Ivanovic), Suarez seemingly hankered for Italian at this World Cup. Sinking teeth into the shoulder of Giorgio Chiellini in a group-stage game led to a four-month ban from all football for the Uruguay striker. Deprived of his goals, Uruguay crashed out of the first of the knockout rounds.

Initially, Suarez professed innocence. He returned home to an outpouring of support. Uruguay’s president, Jose Mujica, was highly critical of FIFA. Suarez then did a U-turn and apologized to Chiellini for the bite seen on TVs and talked about around the world.

Social media wits and marketers made hay. A photo of a chocolate bar with a Suarez hashtag and the words “more satisfying than Italian” got more than 48,000 mentions on Twitter.

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COSTA RICA’S KRUL FATE: With the Netherlands and Costa Rica scoreless after 120 minutes, Dutch coach Louis van Gaal made an astounding call in the final seconds of their quarterfinal: He replaced his first-choice goalkeeper with his understudy, Tim Krul. Taller, with a longer reach and prepped for this eventuality, Krul then saved Costa Rica’s second and fifth penalties in the ensuing shootout, and guessed the correct way on all five.

The masterstroke made Van Gaal look like a football genius, whetting the appetite of fans of Manchester United, his next stop as coach.

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ROBIN FLIES LIKE BATMAN: James Rodriguez’ volleyed goal for Colombia against Uruguay, controlling the ball with his chest, letting it drop and then hammering in with his left foot, all while turning to face goal, was poetry, the timing exquisite. It will be many fans’ goal of the tournament.

But Robin van Persie’s diving header that foretold the demise of reigning world champion Spain was spectacular, too. He launched himself horizontally into the air to get his head to a long pass from left back Daley Blind, sending the ball arching over stranded Spain goalkeeper and captain, Iker Casillas.

“A great goal, I have to be fair,” Van Persie said. “It must be the goal of my career.”

Spain never recovered, booking early passage home by losing that match 5-1, and its next game to Chile.

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John Leicester is an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jleicester@ap.org or follow him at http://twitter.com/johnleicester

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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