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Poland makes history with first win over Germany

By WTOP Staff

The Associated Press

In front of a sell-out crowd in Warsaw, Poland finally did it.

The Poles beat World Cup winner Germany 2-0 for their first win in 19 meetings with the Mannschaft to move three points clear of its powerful rival in European Championship qualifying on Saturday.

It was Germany’s first defeat after 18 competitive games, and its first loss in qualifying after 33 matches.

Also in Group D, Robbie Keane’s hat trick helped Ireland thrash Gibraltar 7-0, taking his international goals tally to 65 and becoming the top scorer in European Championship qualifying history, with 21 goals.

Elsewhere, Karim Benzema and Paul Pogba scored France’s goals in a 2-1 win over Portugal in a friendly, while Northern Ireland earned a second Group F win with a 2-0 defeat of the Faroe Islands.

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.

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GROUP D

Bursting with joy and pride, thousands of Poland fans in national white-and-red scarfs chanted “We are the world champion,” and “Goodbye Germany” in German, as they streamed out from the National Stadium in Warsaw where Poland beat Germany 2-0.

Arkadiusz Milik scored with Poland’s first shot on target in the 51st minute, and Robert Lewandowski set up Sebastian Mila to seal the result in the 88th.

“We took our chances. We had two or three and we scored two goals. Germany had a lot of chances and they didn’t take them,” said Lukasz Piszczek, who set up Milik’s opener.

It was Germany’s first loss in qualifying since a 3-0 loss at home to the Czech Republic in October 2007.

Earlier, Keane’s hat trick in a 13-minute span helped Ireland to a thrashing of Gibraltar in Dublin, and Scotland scraped a 1-0 win over Georgia in Glasgow thanks to Akaki Khubutia’s first-half own goal.

After two games, Poland and Ireland lead the group with maximum points, with Germany and Scotland behind on three. Germany hosts Ireland in Gelsenkirchen on Tuesday, while Poland plays Scotland in Warsaw.

GROUP F

Northern Ireland scored twice in 21 minutes against the Faroe Islands as goals from Gareth McAuley and Kyle Lafferty helped the hosts take command of the group after Finland dropped points against Greece in a 1-1 draw.

The Faroes missed the chance to pull one back when Frodi Benjaminsen’s penalty was saved by Roy Carroll.

Finland failed to move to the top of the group in Helsinki as Mixu Paatelainen’s side rallied to share the points with a Greece side which claimed its first.

Nikolaos Karelis put the visitors in front in the first half before Jarkko Hurme equalized with a superb volley into the bottom-left corner.

In Bucharest, a superb free kick from Balazs Dzsudzak earned Hungary a point after Raul Rusescu put Romania in front.

“It isn’t a fair result because Hungary did not figure until the 82nd minute when they scored,” Romania captain Razvan Rat said. “They did not manage to reach our level. That’s why it is a big disappointment for us, because we really dropped points.”

GROUP I

Albania came close to securing a second win in as many games and a first win over the Danes in more than 50 years after Ermir Lenjani beat goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel with a deflected shot in the 38th. But substitute Lasse Vibe leveled from close range with nine minutes to go.

Also, winger Zoran Tosic scored a last-minute equalizer as Serbia drew with Armenia 1-1.

Albania and Denmark top the group standings after two matches.

Tosic avoided embarrassment for the Serbs with a left-footed shot from outside the box after being set up by Dusan Tadic in the 90th.

Robert Arzumanyan put Armenia in front with a diving header in the 73rd, and the hosts looked set for their first ever win over Serbia.

Armenia, which failed to score in its three previous games against Serbia, squandered the opportunity to double its advantage when Marcos Pizelli’s penalty in the 83rd was saved by goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic.

The group’s other team, Portugal, lost 2-1 in a friendly in France. The hosts secured a ninth straight win against Portugal as Karim Benzema and Paul Pogba found the net. Ricardo Quaresma’s penalty in the 77th could not prevent newly appointed coach Fernando Santos from tasting defeat in his first match in charge.

Portugal, which lost its group( opener 1-0 to Albania, travels to Denmark on Tuesday looking for its first points.

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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