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Bacca scores twice, Colombia beats El Salvador 3-0

By WTOP Staff

HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Radamel Falcao scored in the eighth minute and Carlos Bacca added a pair of goals two minutes apart in the second half to give Colombia a 3-0 victory over El Salvador in the first of two U.S. friendlies at Red Bull Arena for both clubs.

Falcao, who missed the World Cup because of a knee injury, joined a nominally full regular Colombian national side in front of a heavily partisan and passionate sellout crowd of 25,000 yellow-clad Colombian fans.

Colombia pressed from the opening but El Salvador that created the first chance, a blast from 40 yards in the fifth minute by Marvin Monterrosa that goalkeeper Camilo Vargas had to leap to push away at the right post.

Colombia quickly seized the initiative and went ahead when Falcao outleapt Milton Molina just outside the six-yard box to get his head to Santiago Arias’s cross, and drove it past goalkeeper Henry Hernandez. The goal was Falcao’s first for Colombia since Nov. 14, 2013, when he scored in a 2-0 friendly victory over Belgium.

“I think we’re happy to be able watch Falcao once again score a goal with the national team,” Colombia coach Jose Pekerman said through a translator. “We were hoping that it was going to happen. And that’s very important tonight.”

The “Cafeteros” continued to push forward, causing El Salvador to counter by dropping into a five-man back line.

The Central Americans managed to counter on rare occasions, with Rafael Burgos shooting wide in the 24th and Monterrosa having El Salvador’s best chance deflected high over the bar in the 42nd.

But Colombia had the upper hand and took control when Bacca capitalized twice on El Salvador’s defensive scrambles to score in the 49th and 51st minutes.

“In the second half, obviously the goals came fast,” Pekerman said. “That was clearly key. It enabled the team to relax and seal off the game.”

The first resulted when Hernandez tried to punch clear a cross, but the ball fell to Falcao, who turned and hit a shot that struck Molina in the chest. The rebound fell to Bacca, who had nothing but an empty goal in front of him.

Moments later, James Rodriguez curled a cross into the area to Falcao, who tried to settle the ball off his chest. Again it fell fortuitously to Bacca in front of the net and he easily converted.

El Salvador coach Alberto Roca said he was satisfied with the effort, but acknowledged Colombia was more than his team could handle.

“In the first half we played well,” he said. “We had Colombia on the back foot at times. But the errors that we committed in the second half is what cost us. And ultimately when you look at the difference between the two teams, that’s what made the difference.”

Colombia and El Salvador will return to Red Bull Arena on Tuesday. El Salvador will face Ecuador while Colombia will play Canada in a doubleheader.

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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