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Sanchez leads Chile to 3-1 win over Australia

By WTOP Staff

STEVE DOUGLAS
AP Sports Writer

CUIABA, Brazil (AP) — Watch out Spain: Chile and its star striker Alexis Sanchez are looking like a serious threat at the World Cup.

Carrying over his prolific form this season for Barcelona, Sanchez scored one goal and set up another to lead Chile to a 3-1 win over Australia in stifling conditions in Cuiaba on Friday.

It was a patchy but ultimately satisfying opening performance in Group B for the Chileans, who are dangerous outsiders in Brazil after their impressive run of results over the past 18 months.

And they now have the opportunity to make a real dent in the tournament — a win over Spain on Wednesday would virtually guarantee eliminating the reigning champions, who slumped to a stunning 5-1 loss to the Netherlands earlier Friday.

“They have a superlative history in (major tournaments) … I don’t think it will be a defeat that defines the path of the Spanish team,” said Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli, whose side drew 2-2 with Spain in a friendly last year. “It will certainly be an electrifying game.”

Boasting its best ever squad for a World Cup, Chile has been strongly tipped by many — including Pele — to go far despite being thrown in the same group as two of Europe’s top teams.

And the Spanish, ripped apart by the Dutch in Salvador, will not be relishing playing Sampaoli’s side with their title defense on the line.

Especially with Sanchez in this form.

Constantly teasing the Australian defense, he poked home a close-range finish in the 12th minute, before setting up Jorge Valdivia about 70 seconds after the restart for the playmaker to finish high into the net from the edge of the area.

A young Australia team — the lowest-ranked nation in Brazil and written off by most before a ball had been kicked — looked in danger of falling apart but the experienced Tim Cahill brought them back into the game with a trademark header in the 35th.

Cahill, dominant in the air throughout, had several chances to equalize before and after halftime as Chile perhaps became complacent and slipped off the pace at a muggy Arena Pantanal.

But a drilled, low shot by substitute Jean Beausejour settled the match in the second minute of injury time, sending the Chilean bench running onto the pitch in elation and making fans set off fireworks in scenes that made for a great atmosphere but will likely displease organizers.

“Early on, we were probably just overawed by the whole thing,” Australia coach Ange Postecoglou said. “In the end, we gave away a two-goal start and that’s what killed us.”

Sanchez, coming off the best season of his career at club level with 21 goals for Barca, is a potential star of the World Cup and has the ability to run ragged a Spain defense that unraveled against the Dutch.

“Alexis is always the plus for us,” Sampaoli said. “His high standing, his personality, what he brings to the team, we are glad to have him in our team.”

Just as important for Sampaoli was the sight of leading midfielder Arturo Vidal starting and playing 59 minutes on his return from knee surgery undertaken a month ago.

Australia, meanwhile, will take heart from the way the team responded to a dreadful start.

Unsurprisingly it was Cahill who led the recovery, using his aerial domination over diminutive marker Gary Medel to head in his record-extending 33rd national-team goal. The New York Red Bulls forward also had a header ruled out for a marginal offside in the second half.

“There is no one in the tournament who would like to be one-on-one with him.” Postecoglou said. “The only way they could stop him in end was to hold on to his shirt.”

Still, Chile came through and Spain is sure to be wary of the south Americans next week.

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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