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Brazil vs. Chile opens knockout stage at World Cup

By WTOP Staff

TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer

TERESOPOLIS, Brazil (AP) — The knockout stage of the World Cup begins Saturday with host Brazil playing Chile, the South American rival it has dominated over the years.

Brazil hasn’t lost to Chile in more than a decade, and has never lost a head-to-head game on home soil. But for the first time Chile arrives to face its neighbor with plenty of confidence, thanks in part to a convincing campaign in Group B that included a victory over 2010 World Cup champion Spain.

The Chileans say there is no reason they can’t also surprise the hosts, and Brazilians admit they are wary of the threat.

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari warned about Chile’s potential more than six months ago, following the World Cup draw. Despite the possibility of the hosts facing Spain or the Netherlands, Brazil’s nemesis in the quarterfinals of the 2010 tournament, Scolari said at the time that his biggest concern was the Chilean squad, which he hoped “wouldn’t qualify” for the second round.

“When I talked about Chile then, people made fun of me, they said Chile wasn’t good enough,” Scolari said. “But I already knew the work of coach (Jorge) Sampaoli and their players. We already knew how they played.”

Brazil hasn’t lost to Chile since a World Cup qualifier in 2000. Since then, it has won 10 of their 12 matches. The teams have met three times in World Cups, with Brazil winning 4-2 in the semifinals of the 1962 tournament in Chile, then 4-1 in the second round in 1998 and 3-0 at the same stage in 2010.

“We can’t take that into consideration,” Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo said. “A lot of people say that we don’t have anything to lose, but on the contrary, we have a historic opportunity to eliminate the hosts. It’s our longtime rival, one with a lot of titles. It’s up to us to do it.”

Brazil and Chile played twice in friendlies last year. Scolari’s team won 2-1 in November in Canada, and the teams drew 2-2 in April at the same Mineirao Stadium where Saturday’s match will be played.

“This is one of Chile’s best teams in the last few years,” Brazil striker Fred said. “It’s a very fast and technical team, with players who have a lot of experience in international football.”

The Chilean squad has four players who know Brazilian football well — Eduardo Vargas played for Brazilian club Gremio until last year, while Jorge Valdivia is with Palmeiras, Charles Aranguiz with Internacional and Eugenio Mena with Santos.

“They have players with a lot of quality. It’s always difficult to play a team like that,” Brazil midfielder Luiz Gustavo said. “We don’t think about what happened in the past. We have to think about what’s in front of us now. Now it’s a different story, with new players. Anything is possible.”

Brazil has made it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup every time since 1994. Its last elimination in the second round was against Argentina in 1990. Chile has only once advanced past the second round, at home in 1962.

“Now we can’t make any more mistakes,” Scolari said. “In the group stage we could still slip here and there and still advance. Now we can’t. We have to have a very balanced team, we can’t make any mistakes, that’s what has to change beginning with this next game.”

Brazil has four players going into Saturday’s match with a yellow card, including striker Neymar, captain Thiago Silva and Gustavo. Another yellow against Chile will sideline them from the quarterfinals if Brazil advances.

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Follow Tales Azzoni at 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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