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BRAZIL BEAT: Argentina’s ‘el Pocho’ lightens mood

By WTOP Staff

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (AP) — When the coach needs to lighten up, squirt some water on him.

That’s what Ezequiel Lavezzi did during Argentina’s 3-2 win over Nigeria, and his teammates seem to think it’s a good idea.

Lavezzi, a known jokester, was receiving instructions from Alejandro Sabella during Wednesday’s match when he sent a squirt from his water bottle right in the coach’s face.

Sabella didn’t flinch and just kept talking.

Midfielder Ricardo Alvarez said Thursday it’s the kind of thing everyone on the team has come to expect from Lavezzi, also known as “el Pocho,” or the chubby one.

“We know el Pocho and we know the personality he has,” Alvarez said. “These things do good for the group, having a person like el Pocho who is always happy and in a good mood.”

After the match, a smiling Lavezzi explained his move by saying he thought the coach needed to lighten up.

What Sabella thought of it remains unclear.

— By Karl Ritter– www.twitter.com/karl_ritter

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DON’T COME BACK

FORTALEZA, Brazil (AP) — Veteran Greece midfielder Costas Katsouranis is available to play for his country in Sunday’s knockout round match against Costa Rica after sitting out a game because of a red card, but fans are hoping he stays on the bench.

A Facebook page unsubtly titled “No to Katsouranis against Costa Rica” has gone viral, picking up more than 90,000 likes, from football supporters who view the 35-year-old Benfica player as slow and bad-tempered.

Katsouranis played an important part in Greece’s qualification run and has 113 appearances for the national team, including its stunning victory at the 2004 European Championships.

But in Brazil, Katsouranis’ absence in the final group match against Ivory Coast forced lineup changes that saw Greece score its first goals of the tournament for a 2-1 win.

— By Derek Gatopoulos — www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos

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KOREAN FLAVOR

SAO PAULO (AP) — South Korea enjoys strong support in Sao Paulo’s Bom Retiro neighborhood.

On Thursday, hundreds of people gathered for a Korean food festival held to get the community together before the team’s match against Belgium, also in Sao Paulo. The food ran out early because so many lined up to eat traditional dishes such as fried fish, turnip’s broth and hot dogs on sticks covered with French fries.

“We did this today because we wanted to reach out to our Korean community in Brazil,” said Minsun Kim, manager of the Korea Agro-Trade Center of Los Angeles, which organized the festival.

In the neighborhood, a lot of businesses such as photo studios, butchers and markets have signs that read only in Korean. Many residents left their homes in the team’s red jersey heading to the subway station that would take them to the stadium.

At the festival, children were kicking a soccer ball through a hole in a cardboard cutout with cartoons of Brazil star Neymar and coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. Underneath the sports celebrities, there were Korean pop artists.

It really wasn’t too much about football. Women were trying on traditional tunics while others were watching hip-hop dancers and Taekwondo students perform a routine.

— By Adriana Gomez Licon — www.twitter.com/agomezlicon

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FLAG FLIP-FLOP

SAO PAULO (AP) — Nothing says Brazil quite like Havaianas.

The world-famous brand of rubber and plastic flip-flops, with the little Brazilian flag on its strap, has become the country’s most popular export and a must-have for any visiting tourist.

So naturally during this World Cup, the company’s concept store on upscale Rua Oscar Freire has become a pilgrimage of sorts for fans.

Havaianas has adjusted accordingly, launching a line of flip-flops with designs honoring each of the 12 host cities. Even more of a draw is a wall devoted to versions featuring various World Cup teams, with their national flags replacing the trademark one of Brazil. England, Germany and Spain are there, of course, but also Bosnia-Herzegovina and non-World Cup qualifiers like Angola, New Zealand, Peru and Ireland.

In town for his country’s final group game against South Korea, 46-year-old Belgian fan Wim Desmedt was decked out in full gear: a team jersey, a black-red-yellow scarf around his neck and even frames to his glasses with the team colors.

Only one thing was missing to complete the outfit — the Belgium-inspired Havaianas in his hands.

“If you say Belgium, people think beer, chocolate and waffles,” he said. “When you think of Brazil, it’s samba, beaches and Havaianas.”

Once a staple of the poor, Havaianas have now become a trendy favorite worldwide for all classes. Although “havaianas” means Hawaiian in Portuguese, the flip-flops have come to symbolize Brazil — especially since 1998 when a new line was introduced with the small Brazilian flag to show support for the team before the World Cup in France.

Now other nations can do the same.

— By Aron Heller — www.twitter.com/aronhellerap

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ENCHANTING NEYMAR?

SAO PAULO (AP) — The cover of the latest issue of Brazilian Playboy carries a photo of a stunning model posing sensuously in a swimming suit with the headline: “Patricia Jordane, the brunette that enchanted Neymar.”

Apparently, she wasn’t charming enough.

Neymar’s agents filed an appeal to a Sao Paulo court to have the edition pulled from newsstands nationwide — and a judge agreed.

Judge Andreia Galgardo Palma ruled the magazine could no longer be sold and ordered its publisher to pick up all unsold copies from newsstands.

The request for the restraining order was made by NR Sports, the company that manages Neymar’s career.

In a statement on its website, NR Sports said Wednesday the magazine published a lie about Neymar’s personal life and used his name without its authorization. It offered no details.

The judge said the publisher would be fined about $4,500 a day if it failed to obey her order.

Publisher Grupo Abril can appeal the ruling, but had yet to say if it would.

Sergio Xavier, the editor of Brazilian Playboy, said in an email that as yet the magazine hadn’t been notified by any legal authority that it had to pull the June edition, and that “the magazine remains available” across the country.

Shortly before Playboy hit the newsstands earlier this month, Jordane told reporters she had once been romantically involved with Neymar.

She said they had dated for about three months in 2013 and that the relationship ended when Neymar started seeing his current girlfriend, Brazilian TV star Bruna Marquezine.

— By Stan Lehman

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BIG BAD WOLF

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil great Ronaldo got reluctantly dragged into the Luis Suarez quagmire Thursday — and wound up riffing on parenthood and fairytale villains.

At a FIFA news conference, he was asked about the Uruguay striker’s suspension for biting an opposing player.

“Why do you want my opinion? I never bit anyone,” he answered through a translator.

Then Ronaldo kept going: “But I know that bites hurt. My young kids used to bite me and I used to punish them. In my home, punishment is called ‘the dark room with the big bad wolf,’ so I suppose for an adult four months with no football is the same.”

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SUAREZ BIT ME!

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The Adidas World Cup ad campaign with star players baring their teeth was always a bit iffy when it came to the image of Luis Suarez, considering his history of biting opponents on the pitch.

The shoe company was taking down the Suarez ads after he did it again against Italy, but as of early Thursday, one such poster was still up near Copacabana beach. Amused fans took photos of themselves in front of it appearing to be chomped by the Uruguay striker.

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Associated Press reporters will be filing dispatches about happenings in and around Brazil during the 2014 World Cup. Follow AP journalists covering the World Cup on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Sports/world-cup-2014

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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