Skip to main content

Italy stays perfect without Balotelli; Czechs win

By WTOP Staff

ANDREW DAMPF
AP Sports Writer

ROME (AP) — Italy remained perfect without Mario Balotelli. The Netherlands, meanwhile, still appear to be in a post-World Cup slump.

Giorgio Chiellini accounted for all three goals, including an own goal, in Italy’s 2-1 win over Azerbaijan in European Championship qualifying Friday. World Cup semifinalist Netherlands labored to a surprisingly hard-earned 3-1 victory over 10-man Kazakhstan.

World Cup quarterfinalist Belgium held target practice for a 6-0 victory over tiny Andorra.

Elsewhere, Croatia won 1-0 at Bulgaria and is even with Italy atop Group H.

The Czech Republic beat Turkey 2-1 in Istanbul, and Iceland won 3-0 in Latvia to remain atop Group A.

Wales took the Group B lead by one point over Cyprus, Israel and Belgium after holding Bosnia-Herzegovina to a 0-0 draw in Cardiff.

The top two finishers from the nine groups qualify automatically. The best third-placed team also qualifies automatically and the other eight can qualify through a playoff.

The second batch of Euro 2016 qualifiers continues through Tuesday.

___

GROUP A

Defender Renat Abdulin gave 127th-ranked Kazakhstan a surprising lead at the Amsterdam Arena with a powerful 17th-minute header from a poorly defended corner, and the Netherlands had an anxious wait until the 62nd minute when substitute Klaas Jan Huntelaar tied it.

A deflected 82nd-minute shot by Ibrahim Afellay, who started his first international in nearly two years, put the Dutch ahead before Robin van Persie’s penalty in the last minute of regulation time secured the three points and coach Guus Hiddink’s first win in three matches since taking over from Louis van Gaal after the World Cup.

“In the end, it was a good result,” Van Persie said.

In Istanbul, Umut Bulut gave Turkey the lead in the eighth minute but defender Tomas Sivok evened it seven minutes later when he headed in a corner. Borek Dockal gave the Czechs victory with a neat finish just before the hour mark.

Latvia held Iceland goalless for more than an hour before Gylfi Sigurdsson opened the scoring in the 66th, and Aron Gunnarsson and substitute Rurik Gislason completed the comfortable victory.

___

GROUP B

Group B is wide open after Friday’s matches with Wales, taking the lead with four points from two games after a tough goalless draw at home against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Belgium and Israel opened their campaigns with victories to join Cyprus with three points.

Kevin De Bruyne and Dries Mertens scored two goals each for Belgium and Divock Origi and Nacer Chadli added the rest to give the victory a World Cup flavor, with most of the scorers also instrumental in Brazil.

“We have had a good start and we are on our way,” Origi said before the Red Devils departed for Bosnia for their second game on Monday.

Israel also had a successful start, beating Cyprus in Nicosia 2-1 with goals from Omer Damari and Tal Ben Haim.

___

GROUP H

With Balotelli struggling to find his form since transferring to Liverpool– failing to score in five English Premier League appearances — new Italy coach Antonio left him off the squad again.

While Ciro Immobile and Simone Zaza provided the scoring last month, it was all Chiellini this time.

In Palermo, Azerbaijan defended with 10 men and Italy had trouble creating opportunities until Chiellini took advantage of an error by the goalkeeper to give the Azzurri the lead in the 44th.

Chiellini then scored into his own net in the 76th as he attempted to defend a corner kick, but he made up for his error by heading in again in the 82nd.

“In good and bad, I did it all,” said Chiellini, the victim of Luis Suarez’s bite at the World Cup. “But the important thing is we came out on top.”

In Bulgaria, Nikolay Bodurov scored an own goal for Croatia in the 36th.

Norway, which won 3-0 at Malta, got two goals from Blackburn forward Joshua King, who also set up the opening score from Mats Moller Daehli.

Italy beat Norway in its opening qualifier and was a winner over the Netherlands in an exhibition to open Conte’s tenure.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote