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Lloyd leads US women past Mexico 3-0

By WTOP Staff

ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — After the United States’ path to the World Cup hit a snag four years ago, Carli Lloyd was happy to help send the team through smoothly this time.

Lloyd scored a pair of goals in a 3-0 semifinal victory over Mexico on Friday night, securing the United States a trip to next year’s World Cup and a spot in the CONCACAF Women’s Championship title match Sunday.

The U.S. women will face Costa Rica, which earned its first World Cup appearance by beating Trinidad and Tobago on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in the earlier match at PPL Park.

The top three finishers in the championship for the North, Central American and Caribbean region earn World Cup bids and the fourth-place finisher will have another chance in a match against Ecuador next month.

In 2010, Mexico surprised the United States in CONCACAF qualifying, forcing the team to wait to earn its ticket to Germany.

“I can kind of breathe now,” Lloyd said. “I think obviously four years ago we went through a little bit of a rocky qualifying, so we didn’t want that to happen this time. So it just feels really good to have that one over. But we’ve got one more and we want to win that one, so we’ve got to refocus our attention on Sunday’s game.”

Mexico will play Trinidad and Tobago in the third-place match on Sunday.

“They have so many weapons, they have so many tools,” Mexico coach Leo Cuellar said about the U.S. team. “Very hard to prepare a game against them.”

Lloyd scored in the eighth minute on a header off a bouncing cross from Tobin Heath to give the United States the early lead. She added a goal on a penalty kick in the 30th minute.

“It was a world-class serve by Tobin. She whipped it in and those are the things I’ve kind of been working on my own, getting inside the box, working on my heading. It was great to get that one,” Lloyd said. “Then, Tobin again took somebody on inside the box, got a PK called and I put it home. But overall it was a great performance and a great team win.”

Christen Press put the United States up 3-0, scoring scored into an empty net in the 56th minute after working around goalkeeper Pamela Tajonar.

Christie Rampone celebrated her 300th international appearance. She’s just the second player to reach the milestone after Kristine Lilly with 352.

Rampone said this team is still developing as it heads toward going into the World Cup, scheduled next year in six Canadian cities. The field for soccer’s premier tournament is expanding to 24 teams for 2015.

“It’s about getting better each and every game,” Rampone said. “And I think we’re doing that.”

The United States continues to adjust to a new style of play under coach Jill Ellis, who took over in May following the dismissal of Tom Sermanni.

The U.S. team has been ranked No. 1 in the world for the past five years and was the easy favorite going into the eight-team CONCACAF tournament. The women swept the group stage to advance to the semifinal against Mexico.

Costa Rica, the first Central American team to qualify for the World Cup, has not dropped a match in the qualifying tournament, either.

“I want to give thanks to the whole team for the sacrifice we all made, and to our country — which had so much desire to qualify for a Women’s World Cup. When I was in goal, I felt the whole country behind me,” goalkeeper Dinnia Diaz said through a translator after the victory over Trinidad and Tobago.

The group stage wasn’t without adversity for the United States, however. Forward Alex Morgan sprained her left ankle during a win over Guatemala and will miss four-to-six weeks. Morgan injured the same ankle last October and was sidelined seven months.

Four years ago, the US women were also favored and expected to have an easy run through qualifying, but Mexico pulled off the upset in the semifinal.

The 2-1 loss in Cancun ultimately forced the United States into a two-game playoff against Italy which the team won 2-0 on aggregate. At the World Cup in Germany the next year, the United States fell to Japan in the final on penalty kicks.

Mexico lost in the CONCACAF tournament opener to Costa Rica, and finished second in its group going into the semifinal.

Known by the nickname Las Tri, Mexico was the runner-up at the 2010 CONCACAF championship, and did not advance out of the group stage at the World Cup.

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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