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Neymar leads Brazil to 4-0 win over Panama

By WTOP Staff

TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer

GOIANIA, Brazil (AP) — Neymar scored one goal and set up two others to help Brazil defeat Panama 4-0 in a World Cup warm-up match on Tuesday.

Neymar broke the deadlock with a well-struck free kick from just outside the area in the 26th minute, and then sent a perfect back-heel pass for Hulk to score less than a minute into the second half. Neymar also started the move that led to Willian scoring in the 73rd.

Neymar’s Barcelona teammate Dani Alves had struck Brazil’s second goal with a right footed shot in the 40th.

Neymar’s goal was the 200th of his career, and 31st with the national team. Despite his solid performance, he said he still has to improve for the World Cup.

“I’m still not ready. I got tired there at the end,” Neymar said. “Little by little in practice I’m improving and getting better physically. There are still nine days left.”

It was Brazil’s second-to-last match before the World Cup opener against Croatia on June 12 in Sao Paulo. The five-time world champion will play Serbia on Friday, also in Sao Paulo.

“It was a valid test,” Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. “We have to understand that we haven’t played together for nearly three months and we only had seven days to prepare so far. You have to take that into consideration. We didn’t play well in the beginning but I liked the team’s performance during the rest of the match.”

Brazil had been struggling until the first goal and fans had started to jeer their team at the nearly packed Serra Dourada Stadium in the central city of Goiania.

Panama was in control and created most of the scoring chances in the early stages, upsetting fans and prompting Scolari to leave his bench several times to talk to his players.

“In the first 20 or 25 minutes things didn’t go well for us. The defense and the attack were too separated and we couldn’t get a sequence of passes together,” Scolari said. “After the goal we improved. But things could have been different if we had played against a team that was at a higher level.”

The more than 30,000 fans at the Serra Dourada were starting to jeer when Neymar was pulled down at the edge of the area for the foul that led to his goal. He curled a right footed shot over the wall and into the upper left corner of the net to get the crowd behind the team again.

Neymar several times turned to the fans and asked them to cheer and keep supporting the team.

“I have to ask the fans to be a little bit more patient,” Neymar said. “We started slowly but with time we improved and got the goals we needed for the victory.”

The squad was loudly applauded after the final whistle. Neymar also applauded the crowd when it repeatedly chanted his name after he nearly scored with a bicycle kick late in the match.

Brazil was without captain Thiago Silva, who stayed at the team’s training camp outside Rio de Janeiro to improve his physical condition. Reserve midfielder Fernandinho also didn’t travel to Goiania to work on his fitness, while Paulinho didn’t make the trip because of a minor left ankle injury.

Earlier on Tuesday, a few dozen people protested in front of the team’s hotel to complain about the money being spent by the country on the World Cup. Police had to intervene to keep them from disturbing the players.

The national team had already been targeted by demonstrators when it began its preparations in Rio. Protesters banged on the team’s bus and attached dozens of stickers with comments against the World Cup.

___

Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni

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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