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Man United humbled in League Cup by 3rd tier Dons

By WTOP Staff

ROB HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

LONDON (AP) — In just his third match in charge of Manchester United, Louis van Gaal oversaw one of the most humiliating losses in the club’s illustrious history on Tuesday.

The record 20-time English champions timidly capitulated to MK Dons, losing 4-0 to the third-tier club in the second round of the League Cup.

Hired to halt the decline under David Moyes in the post-Alex Ferguson era, Van Gaal had already endured a loss and a draw in his first two Premier League matches before one of three possible routes to silverware ended in Milton Keynes.

A second-string United was playing in the League Cup second round for the first time since 1995 because Moyes failed to qualify for Europe during his only season in charge. He was replaced by the coach who led the Netherlands to third place at the World Cup.

Although Van Gaal made 10 changes from the team that drew at Sunderland, several international players including Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez and Shinji Kagawa were deployed.

Van Gaal kept his cool in public after the game and did not tear into his team’s performance, despite poor defending that gifted goals to the Dons and the fact that United needed around 70 minutes to manage a shot on target.

“We didn’t have the luck to score but at least we have created a lot of chances,” Van Gaal said. “You don’t have to forget we have nine injuries and we had a very young team, I have seen them trying to their utmost best. You can’t expect more of the players.”

Van Gaal urged fans to trust him to turn around the fortunes of a team that won the Premier League by 11 points in 2013 before Ferguson retired after more than 26 years in charge.

“(Supporters) have to believe in our philosophy,” Van Gaal said. “We are building up a team and you can’t make in one month not in one year of course. It’s very disappointing but I hope they shall maintain their confidence in the club and in our philosophy because that philosophy takes time.”

A United side featuring David Beckham lost 3-0 to third tier side York at this stage in 1995, going out of the then two-legged second round 4-3 on aggregate.

Nineteen years on, the humbling result took the gloss off United’s pre-match announcement that it had broken the British transfer record by signing Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid for 59.7 million pounds ($99 million). With a summer spending spree that has now hit $215 million, Van Gaal will be expected to quickly restore United to the elite of English football and ensure that Tuesday’s result becomes a long-forgotten blip.

“You have to analyze the problem and then you have to take your matches,” Van Gaal said. “We know exactly what we are doing.”

Benik Afobe, a striker on loan from Arsenal, and Will Grigg were gifted the openings to each score twice on a memorable night for the Dons, which was originally Wimbledon FC. The 1988 FA Cup winners as Wimbledon controversially uprooted 90 kilometers (56 miles) from south London to Milton Keynes, a large commuter town north of the capital, and was renamed a decade ago.

“I’m a little bit shocked to be walking off and seeing the score line,” Dons manager Karl Robinson said. “It’s ridiculous. It’s something that dreams are made of for these players. We work hard here and you’ve seen a youthful energy in the team … this is a game for Milton Keynes as a city.”

United wasn’t the only Premier League to be beaten by lower-league opposition, with misery also for West Ham and topflight newcomers Burnley and Leicester.

Sheffield Wednesday of the second tier won 1-0 at Burnley, while Leicester went down 1-0 at home to fourth-tier side Shrewsbury.

New signing Enner Valencia missed a penalty for West Ham as the London club lost a shootout 5-4 to Sheffield United of the third tier.

West Bromwich Albion narrowly avoided a similarly embarrassing shootout exit by beating Oxford 7-6 after a 1-1 draw in normal time. Jack Cork and Graziano Pelle scored their first goals for Southampton in a 2-0 victory at Millwall, while Newcastle beat Gillingham 1-0.

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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