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Neymar’s late goal lifts Brazil past Colombia, 1-0

By WTOP Staff

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Neymar scored in the 83rd minute to give Brazil a 1-0 victory over Colombia on Friday night in an exhibition game before 73,429 fans at Sun Life Stadium.

Neymar’s free kick from 22 yards landed inside the upper right post and past the outstretched hands of goalkeeper David Ospina. Neymar was making his first appearance for the national team since sustaining a serious back injury in a 2-1 victory over Colombia in the World Cup quarterfinals.

“What makes Neymar special is he possesses the natural skills few players have,” Brazil coach Dunga said.

After Neymar was hurt, Brazil was eliminated by eventual World Cup champion Germany, falling 7-1 in the semifinals.

Colombia had one opportunity at the equalizer after Neymar’s goal, but Radamel Falcao’s header inside the 6-yard box sailed above the crossbar in the 89th minute. Falcao, who entered the match in the 76th minute for James Rodriguez, rejoined the national team after sitting out the World Cup because of a knee injury.

“It was a very competitive match and Brazil deserved the victory,” Colombia coach Jose Pekerman said. “We did the best we could. Obviously, the expulsion complicated things.”

The match began the second stint for Dunga as Brazil’s coach. Dunga previously guided Brazil in the World Cup cycle that ended after a quarterfinal finish in the 2010 tournament.

“With only two days of training as a group, you couldn’t formalize much for the match,” Dunga said. “But we maintained our composure and displayed a sound quality of play.”

Colombia played a man down for the final 40 minutes after Juan Cuadrado’s second yellow card infraction for his foul on Neymar.

Brazil immediately took advantage when Ospina deflected David Luiz’s free kick and cleared a possible follow-up from Fernandinho in the 58th minute. Maicon retrieved Ospina’s clear and his 15-yard shot sailed wide left.

Brazil controlled the ball early the repeated pressure resulted in three corner kicks in the opening 12 minutes. Oscar had Brazil’s first direct shot on goal when Ospina caught his indirect free kick from 25 yards in the 13th minute.

Cuadrado had Colombia’s first scoring opportunity in the 22nd minute when his indirect free kick sailed wide off the left post.

Oscar had another scoring opportunity in the 33rd minute. Neymar fed him with a touch pass deep in the Colombia penalty but Oscar’s shot from eight yards missed its mark wide left.

Colombia intensified pressure in the final 10 minutes of the first half. Camilo Zubiga’s shot 2 yards inside the large area sailed above the crossbar in the 38th minute. Brazil goalkeeper Jefferson made a diving stop on Cuadrado’s 18-yard shot in the 41st minute.

Brazil will play Ecuador in the second of its two-match stop of friendlies Tuesday night at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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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