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2nd-tier player Ibarra could make US debut Friday

By WTOP Staff

RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Miguel Ibarra is the most unlikely player with the U.S. national team as it prepares for Landon Donovan’s international finale.

The 24-year-old midfielder isn’t with a European club, isn’t even in Major League Soccer. The Californian is in his third season with Minnesota United of the second division North American Soccer League, where he was selected September’s player of the month.

Last weekend, he played at home before a crowd of 5,744 at National Sports Center in Blaine, a suburb of Minneapolis and St. Paul. On Friday he could make his international debut against Ecuador before 35,000-plus at Rentschler Field, many coming to see the 157th national team appearance of Donovan, the U.S. record-holder for goals and assists.

“Just being here for his final game is going to be an honor,” Ibarra said Thursday.

Ibarra has eight goals and five assists this year for Minnesota, which finished first in the spring season and tops the fall standings of the NASL, which uses split seasons. He played for Taft College and UC Irvine, was selected by Portland in MLS’s 2012 supplemental draft but signed with Minnesota instead.

His coach there is Manny Lagos, an MLS veteran who made three appearances with the U.S. national team from 2001-03 and is friends with Tab Ramos, head coach of the American under-20 team and a national team assistant. Minnesota says Ibarra is the first player from a second-tier American league asked to a national team camp since 2005, when Bruce Arena called in midfielder Clyde Simms of Richmond in the A-League.

“Our job is to identify the talent, figure out how good he really is,” U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said.

For last month’s exhibition at the Czech Republic, the start of the four-year cycle leading to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Klinsmann took along Jordan Morris, a sophomore forward at Stanford. Morris didn’t get into the game — the U.S. Soccer Federation believes no college player has appeared for the national team since Ante Razov in 1995 — but Klinsmann made an impression.

What was he up to?

“Sending out that signal to all the other players out there, saying, you know what? We understand there are so many different directions, because the U.S. soccer landscape is what it is,” Klinsmann said. “It’s so different to the rest of the world.”

Ibarra, 5-foot-7 and fast, learned of his selection when Klinsmann called him.

“It says that Jurgen is going to look everywhere, wherever he can, for talent,” he said.

When he reported to the training camp, which began with sessions at Harvard, Ibarra said the speed and intensity was noticeably higher than he was used to, and it took him time to adjust.

Klinsmann says that injecting Ibarra into training sessions with the national team player pool makes for an easier evaluation than watching video or digesting USSF staff scouting reports.

“‘We can talk to him and tell him, ‘Listen, this is what you need now. This is where you’ve got to step it up. This is what you understand from a tempo, pace point of view,'” he said.

Training with World Cup veterans Jozy Altidore and Brad Guzan, Ibarra remembers the advice given to him by Lagos.

“He’s always pushed me,” Ibarra said, “and he just tells me to always enjoy the game and just play like if I was a little kid.”

NOTES: Because of the elimination by FIFA of international dates each February and August, CONCACAF’s semifinal round of World Cup qualifying may start in late 2015 and the final round may run from late 2016 to September 2017, leaving October 2017 for intercontinental playoffs. … Klinsmann said Brad Guzan will play in goal on Friday and Nick Rimando on Tuesday against Honduras in Boca Raton, Florida. Chicago’s Sean Johnson will join the team for the Honduras match.

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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