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Spain not looking to change the guard just yet

By WTOP Staff

PAUL LOGOTHETIS
AP Sports Writer

CURITIBA, Brazil (AP) — The Netherlands crushing win over Spain has precipitated a question that wasn’t expected to come up until after the World Cup — when do Spain’s veterans give way to its rising crop of talented youngsters?

Coach Vicente del Bosque said changes would be made for the must-win match against Chile on Wednesday. But with its title on the line, Spain’s transition still may not be fully made in Brazil.

“To think that this generation of players is finished is a little exaggerated,” midfielder Xabi Alonso said on Sunday. “We’ve still got life, there’s more to come from this team, which knows how to compete.”

And compete it must. Spain not only needs to win the Group B match against Chile at the Maracana, but also has a big goal-difference deficit to make up after being routed 5-1 by the Netherlands.

“We should remember what these players have achieved over the past years, the history that we’ve made,” midfielder Cesc Fabregas said. “But we also can’t live off of that.”

Spain did look as if it was living off its reputation against the Dutch. Alonso and Fabregas alongside Iker Casillas, Xavi Hernandez, and Andres Iniesta have been the core of a team that has won just about everything over the past six years but who came up flat against the Dutch.

This “golden generation” looked fatigued as it struggled to respond to the onslaught in Salvador, when the Dutch rallied from a 1-0 deficit to hand Spain its worst competitive loss in 64 years.

Del Bosque has always been reticent to make wholesale changes to this group, leaving a number of talented players on the bench or out of the fold altogether.

Strikers David Villa and Fernando Torres were called in to back up newcomer Diego Costa, while Fernando Llorente was dropped despite enjoying a career-best season at Italian champion Juventus. Real Madrid playmaker Isco was also abandoned.

Midfielder Thiago Alcantara’s injury absence delivered a serious blow to Del Bosque’s plans, with the Bayern Munich playmaker having been earmarked to guide the attack as Xavi is coming off an inconsistent club season at Barcelona.

But even with talents like Javi Martinez, Koke, Juan Mata and goalkeeper David de Gea available, Del Bosque may not want to shuffle too much now. Sticking with the old guard would send a strong message that it’s too early for Spain to panic.

“For us it is a collective question: Either we all go home together or we keep fighting all together,” said Alonso. “No doubt we have undergone internal inflection since the loss. But we should not come to conclusions about these past years from one game.”

Spain also lost its opening match of the World Cup four years ago to Switzerland when it also found itself in a must-win match against Chile, which opened play in Brazil with a 3-1 win over Australia.

Spain eventually beat Chile 2-1 in its final group game in South Africa to top the group. In Brazil, it will need to match that result but with a bigger scoreline, something Spain’s possession-based game has struggled to do in recent tournaments.

Spain hasn’t scored more than two goals in a World Cup match since a 3-1 group win over Tunisia in 2006, a span of 10 matches.

“We know what we need to do, we have players of different profiles and different characteristics who can do it,” Alonso said. “But we have to be intelligent and not fall into any traps against Chile. I think our team is deep enough, we have enough players to combine styles of control with a more attacking approach to win the game while scoring goals at the same time.”

Spain last failed to advance out of the group stages of major championship at Euro 2004.

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Follow Paul Logothetis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PaulLogoAP

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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