A German tabloid has jokingly blamed the German team’s wives for their country’s shock World Cup exit, saying they didn’t party enough during the World Cup…

Bild, one of Germany’s most notorious tabloids, has found a scapegoat for their national team’s World Cup catastrophe – the players’ wives. Bild asked the question: “What is actually wrong with our WAGs [wives and girlfriends]?” in the wake of the German team’s World Cup exit.

The paper complained that while the English and Welsh player’s better halves have been partying hard and “have now drunk half of Qatar empty”, there are only boring pictures from likes of Leon Goretzka’s girlfriend and other German WAGs.

“Not thirsty? Dancing leg allergy? Don’t feel like lunging? Be happy that you too are now flying home with your football dwarves! Otherwise we would have sent you summer house specialist Mario Basler to the desert hotel to escalate the party. It can’t go on like this…”

This brutal review came after travel issues meant some German player’s wives were only at the World Cup for a couple of nights, reportedly.

Following the exit, there will be a much more comprehensive review of this than Bild’s tongue-in-cheek one, with Thomas Muller being quoted as suggesting that the team’s performance at the tournament was “an absolute catastrophe.”

It’s kind of funny that the Germans are complaining their players’ WAGs aren’t wild enough when you consider the furore back in 2006 when English WAGs were caught going a bit too wild in Germany, leading commentators back then to blame England’s woes on their WAGs’ wild behaviour.

Germany came third in Group E, with Japan going through to round 16 instead of them after a dramatic win against Spain. This is the second group stage elimination in a row for Germany.

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The post German Players’ Wives Blamed For Nation’s Shock World Cup Exit appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

After England’s easy win against Senegal this morning, many World Cup fans are calling for commentator Martin Tyler to retire, accusing his commentary of “falling off a cliff.” Complaints include his persistent mentioning of 1966 and his supposed lack of enthusiasm.

Martin Tyler is an institution. A voice that has guided us through games for what seems like an eternity. But some fans are displeased with his “performance” in this morning’s England vs. Senegal clash, which the English won 3-0.

Tyler is currently trending on Twitter. And not due to praise. One fan (who describes themselves as a “Failed Footballer, Liverpool Tragic and pseudo-Twitch Streamer”) accused him of downplaying the racial abuse of Bukayo Saka, writing: “Martin Tyler has actually fallen off a cliff here in terms of his commentating quality – ‘When Saka had to deal with that hoo-haa after the Euros’ – don’t downplay he was racially abused by a significant number of people, say it how it is pal.”

Martin Tyler has actually fallen off a cliff here in terms of his commentating quality – “When Saka had to deal with that hoo-haa after the Euros” – don’t downplay he was racially abused by a significant number of people, say it how it is pal #ENGSEN

— Menas (@menasayy) December 4, 2022

It’s worth noting here this is just one fan, and just one tweet (the rest of Tyler’s criticism was centred around people finding him boring). It’s also worth noting that when Saka was given a standing ovation by Brentford upon his Premier League return, Tyler said, “It was wonderful at Tottenham and it’s wonderful again tonight.”

“Bukayo Saka is a charming young footballer and he must be touched by the reception to him tonight.”

Martin Tyler

Back to this morning’s game though: many other fans (particularly Aussies) had a different kind of complaint, calling Tyler dull. They wrote things like: “Fmd please please get rid of Martin Tyler. He puts me to sleep.”

Sorry people but Martin Tyler has to go. I’ve been one of his biggest fans over the years but he is now well and truly past it. He’s more boring than England. Definitely time to hang up the microphone. Please. #SBSWorldCup

— Alex Hawkins (@TheCanberean) December 4, 2022

Another wrote: “Sorry people but Martin Tyler has to go. I’ve been one of his biggest fans over the years but he is now well and truly past it. He’s more boring than England. Definitely time to hang up the microphone. Please.”

Another said: “Can’t believe it took until the 54th minute for Martin Tyler to mention the ‘66 World Cup.”

@SBS @SBSSportau For goodness sake, get Martin Tyler a co-commentator. Poor bloke is having to do it all on his own and has now resorted to commenting on the quality of the stadium parking! #ENGSEN

— Miles (@voodude) December 4, 2022

Further critiques included: “Martin Tyler talking about the car parking situation being bad in Qatar…blow the whistle now” and “It is an absolute travesty that Australians are stuck with Martin Tyler droning us to sleep on SBS when we could have this [‘poet’ Peter Drury].”

The criticism didn’t let up there, with more complaints including: “Please, please stop giving us Martin Tyler… With all due respect for what he’s done, these days he does his best to kill all possible excitement.”

Another said: “Please tell me Martin Tyler isn’t commentating the World Cup Final.”

Unpopular opinion but Martin Tyler is tarnishing his legacy more than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Dude needs to hang up the mic soon.

— JAKE BUCKLEY (@TheMasterBucks) November 28, 2022

Has Martin Tyler become too downbeat? Seems to be blunting the highs of goals now. I know he’s always used silence and understatement, a master at it, but to me sounding ho-hum.

— Tony Wilson – Good One, Wilson Substack (@byTonyWilson) December 4, 2022

“I recommend everyone in Australia go and use the Arabic commentary on sbs if ur struggling to listen to Martin Tyler,” yet another cheeky social media user quipped.

Twitter user Zane Bojak defended Tyler, writing: “The guy is a broadcasting legend.. he is getting nailed for not getting excited for goals which required VAR adjudication.. it’s a difficult thing.. if it was the opposite people would be saying he’s getting too excited for offside calls.”

It’s also possible Tyler’s commentary was just a reflection of how little tension there was in the game, with England always looking like winning it after the first 40 minutes.

Martin Tyler please have some more energy omd, bro hasn’t reacted to the last 3 goals

— TSG .\ (@tsg_mcfc) December 4, 2022

In Australia we have Martin Tyler commentating England…
current 1966 mentions… 384

— Allan McCarlie (@mccarlie_fc) December 4, 2022

It’s also possible Australians just don’t like being reminded of that one time England won the World Cup, and are looking for excuses to hate on the commentary great.

This isn’t the first time Tyler has been criticised this World Cup, with a few aggrieved comments rolling through during the Cameroon game, too.

Probably the best game of the tournament now and Martin Tyler couldn’t sound anymore bored. Almost like those Cameroon goals inconvenienced him

— .\nthony (@anthony_m_g_) November 28, 2022

Martin Tyler has no enthusiasm, no excitement in his commentary anymore. He should be going nuts. He’s long past his glory days

— .\nthony Vescio (@vesh88) November 28, 2022

Whether Tyler is still a legend of the (commentary) game or whether we’re simply suckers for nostalgia, we’ll leave up to you. But one thing is for sure: if England win the World Cup we’re sure you’ll finally hear some serious excitement from him.

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It’s a question we’re sure we’ve all asked ourselves at one point: why not just put solar panels on an electric car? Well, one Dutch firm’s done precisely that. It’s called the Lightyear 0, and it just made history by becoming the world’s first production solar car.

Designed in the Netherlands and in production in Finland by Valmet Automotive (a highly respected vehicle contract manufacturer that also makes cars for Mercedes-Benz and has previously produced Fiskers and Saabs), the high-tech vehicle is set to be a game-changer for the automotive industry.

Sleek and futuristic, it’s a large fastback sedan with a bonnet, roof and boot clad with 5m² of solar cells, with a record drag coefficient of Cd=0.175. The teardrop-shaped car looks like no other electric car on the market – although it also doesn’t look like some flimsy concept car, either.

The company plans on producing one car a week and gradually scaling up its production in the first quarter of 2023. Again, it’s hard to overstate this: this isn’t just some start-up pipe dream. This is real, and it’s already in production. The future is now, people.

WATCH journalists and customers get a first drive of the Lightyear 0 in Spain below.

So, down to brass tacks: how does the Lightyear 0 work?

Well, ignoring the solar panels, it’s otherwise a rather conventional electric car. It has a 60kWh battery pack that’s capable of being charged in the usual way, which Lightyear says gives the 0 a rather impressive 625km of range or a highway range (at 110 km/h) of 560km. Useful when the sun’s not shining.

RELATED: The Longest Range Electric Cars Available In Australia

However, Lightyear says that the 782 solar cells across the car’s body can add 70km of range per day during summer, with the Lightyear 0 capable of a practical driving range of over 1,000km “between two charging moments” (based on a 50km workday commute in Amsterdam during summer). They also claim an “annual solar yield” of up to 11,000km (based on living in southern Spain).

In essence, in sunny weather and with short commute distances, you could theoretically get away with never having to charge the car, or at the very least, go pretty long periods without having to charge it. You’d still have to charge the car on longer trips, but the solar cells would help extend your range far beyond most standard EVs.

That’s before we even start talking about the convenience and cost-saving factors a self-charging car can offer.

The car is all-wheel drive, with four in-wheel electric hub motors giving it 127kW of power. Lightyear say it’ll do 0-100km/h in 10 seconds and claim a top speed of 160km/h – not particularly amazing numbers, but we guess you have to compromise somewhere.

The interior of the car is also pretty forward-thinking, as it’s crafted from plant-based leather, recycled PET bottle fabrics and sustainably restructured rattan palm. Like a Tesla, it’s got a large centre-mounted touch-screen, but unlike a Tesla, it has a conventional gauge cluster and push-button transmission below the infotainment screen.

It also claims to fit five adults in comfort and boasts 474L of trunk space with the seats up, making it a rather practical daily driver. This isn’t some impractical hypermiler like the BMW i8 or Volkswagen XL1: it’s a pretty normal car.

All in all, despite its big-picture conceit, it actually seems like an eminently reasonable, entirely driveable car. It’s being made by a reputable factory and it’s already starting to make its way to consumers.

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The team behind it aren’t your typical skeezy start-up, either. Both the team and the Lightyear 0’s solar panel design were born out of Solar Team Eindhoven: a student-run outfit that’s produced some of the most successful cars of the World Solar Challenge, the world’s best-known solar-powered car race that spans 3,000kms through the Australian outback from Darwin to Adelaide.

Indeed, we can’t think of a better market for the Lightyear 0 than Australia. Australia is one of the sunniest countries on Earth – and also one where having an electric car that can go long distances without charging is obviously highly attractive.

Really, the only catch with the Lightyear 0 is its price. The company plans to only build 150 Lightyear 0s, and is selling them for €250,000 (~US$263,660 / AU$387,050) each. That’s more expensive than a Porsche Taycan Turbo S, for reference.

RELATED: I Drove Porsche’s Insane New Electric Car. It Blew My Mind

However, the company has a more affordable car in the pipeline, the Lightyear 2, which will have a smaller battery and less range for the much more accessible price of €30,000 (~US$31,630 / AU$46,450), which will reportedly hit the market in 2025.

Currently, the Lightyear 0 is only available to order in the EU, Switzerland, Norway and the UK… Although the fact they’re making it in right-hand drive means that it could very well make its way Down Under, where its underlying technology was forged.

Yes, it’s very expensive and still somewhat niche, but it’s surprising just how fully realised it is. We’re excited to see where Lightyear go with this bold new vision for motoring – and if other companies will now start rolling out solar-powered passenger vehicles of their own…

Find out more about the Lightyear 0 here.

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The post Mad Dutch Bastards Produce The World’s First Solar-Powered Electric Car appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Two corgis just flew from San Francisco to Singapore in business class. They were denoted as emotional support animals and seemed to have a ball of a time.

Flight SQ33 probably means nothing to you if you’re a dog. The same goes for distinctions in class. You may be devastated to learn, then, that a couple of corgis have just flown to Singapore from San Francisco in business class on Singapore Airlines flight SQ33.

The owner, Tommy Suriwong, took to Facebook to share the story, cheekily quipping, “Singapore Airlines SQ33 SFO-SIN with built in corgi seating area.”

Providing context, he said they “lead quite good live as mascots for our art school and are now retired with us in Phuket, Thailand.”

Suriwong said the tail-wagging flight was possible “with ESA [emotional support animal] documentation” and that “we did import permit for Thailand and transshipment license for Singapore.”

“We relocated from Bay Area to Thailand thus had to bring our dogs on a oneway ride to Thailand with us.”

Tommy Suriwong

Comments on the post were mostly positive, with one Facebook user writing: “Dogs are typically better behaved than humans on the plane. You did a fantastic job of making them good travelers.”

Another wrote: “I have severe anxiety when it comes to flying, if I saw these doggos, I would feel so much more at ease… and if I got to cuddle them, probably wouldn’t need a Valium.”

“Better behaved than my two toddlers that went business class earlier this year.”

Angela Bristow Sims

Another Facebook user, Steve Lam, said he had done a similar journey with his dog in February, providing photos and all (and saying “Alcohol was definitely needed for this flight”).

To avoid any bathroom issues on the 17-hour-long flight, Suriwong said “we modified their feeding and water schedule about a month in advance so they’d… basically take their final poddy right before we left for the airport.”

“Our older dog, had an accident as we got off the jetway in Singapore but it was ok since we had pee pads, poop bags, and baby wipes at the ready.”

After sharing this Suriwong also handed out a “protip” to other dog owners travelling with their pooches, writing: “at Changi, we went looking for the sunflower garden for them to go potty but it was under renovation” and explaining: “One of the passenger transport golf cart drivers pointed us to the outdoor smokers garden right under the SilverKris lounge and it worked like a charm (except had lots of smokers so probably shaved a few days off our lives).”

Singapore Airlines told CNA Lifestyle that additional seats were not purchased for the two dogs, with CNA Lifestyle reporting “the airline…confirmed that Mindy and Peanut are emotional support dogs travelling with two passengers.”

In terms of the journey itself, Suriwong said both dogs spent most of the time asleep due to being given an anticonvulsant medication at various intervals (“we timed it perfectly so they’d fall sleep right as we were about to take off and land” he said).

Not everyone is stoked on having dogs with them on a flight. In answer to these people, Suriwong said: “I get it but I purposely chose the row nearest to the exits” and “our dogs are well behaved so it’s not like they were barking or running around.”

“[They] mostly just slept and cuddled.”

Tommy Suriwong

Suriwong also claimed he and his partner got the dogs prepared for the flight by having them listen to airplane sounds at home on Youtube and by taking them to the airport a few weeks prior to the flight to meet the ground crew, checkpoint people and TSA agents.

He said this strategy “totally worked” with the dogs getting celebrity treatment and the ground crew taking selfies with them (“and giving them lots of cuddle and pets”). This time also gave Tommy and his partner the time to ask questions and verify the document list they had was correct.

A dog’s life indeed…

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The post Two Lucky Corgis Fly Business Class From San Francisco To Singapore appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

New South Wales’ beleaguered rugby union side has collaborated with a craft gin distillery on their very own drops – but fans have been quick to poke fun at the team.

The two gins, Waratahs Signature Gin and Scrum Strength Gin, are being produced in collaboration with Lord Howe Island Distilling Co. and have been launched to celebrate the storied side’s return to Allianz Stadium in 2023.

They’re even distilled with essences of New South Wales botanicals including strawberry gum, Davidson plum and you guessed it – waratah flowers – and if they’re anything else like the other gins this little distillery makes, they probably taste amazing.

However, it hasn’t taken fans long to poke fun at the troubled side’s gin (who had a truly woeful 2021 season and a rather average 2022 season), with plenty of good-natured gin-related jokes being made at the Tah’s expense on social media.

“Looks the real deal… But I bet it falls away at the back end after a promising start,” one fan commented on Facebook, another adding that it must “taste like the tears of the Waratahs fans through the years.”

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“Waratahs scrums aren’t too strong so I would imagine a non-alcoholic Waratah Gin would be better known as scrum strength,” another joked – although to give Lord Howe Island Distilling Co. credit, they’ve been giving as good as they’ve got.

“We guarantee Scrum Strength hits hard and goes for the full 80mins,” they’ve rebutted. Can we also talk about how good of a name ‘Scrum Strength’ is for a Navy Strength gin?

Snatch a bottle (or two) for yourself at Lord Howe’s online shop here.

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The post Waratahs Savagely Trolled After Launching Their Own Gin appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

A World Cup fan has pretended to be Neymar, convincing supporters he really is the wily winger. He even claims to have got some recognition from the injured Brazilian star as well. Life-affirming stuff.

You might have thought the biggest news about this year’s World Cup was the vagina stadium, the lack of beer, Australia beating Denmark or Germany yet again not qualifying for the round of 16. But no: there’s an even more important story. A trollish fan has been going around pretending to be Neymar, and boy does he pull it off.

WATCH: troll fools fans into thinking he’s Neymar

Football fans have clamoured to see Brazilian star ‘Neymar’ in various World Cup settings over the last week or so, from stadiums to shopping centres, after social media personality @sosiadoney fooled them into thinking he was the Brazilian number 10.

The troll appears to have studied everything from how Neymar walks, to how he signs autographs. Classic.

Helping make his dopplegangery more believable is the fact that Neymar has been out injured with a banged up ankle. During Brazil’s 1-0 win over Switzerland, for instance, ‘fake Neymar’ was spotted taking selfies with supporters and then walking around the pitch by a security guard.

Real Neymar, meanwhile, was resting in his hotel room letting the ligament damage on his ankle heal, with a special boot on to help with the swelling.

Even FoxSoccer got plundered by the joke.

UPDATE: we got got

Neymar has a very convincing doppelgänger

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 27, 2022

On November 3rd, the troll wrote: “Finally what a moment, what a little structure… I would never have imagined that this serious moment is present in my life, such a blessing from God that allowed me to get where I am through this work and very grateful very very grateful and a fan of this guy who is a to be really fucked up@@@@ , who received this representation I’ve been doing with open arms, and to say that I’m much more much more a fan of this giant guy who changed my life in a huge way, allowing me millions of possibilities and opportunities, making me meet places and people you would never imagine to meet.”

“@neymarjr I am very grateful to you brother, may God honor you more and more and may you achieve all your goals… I love you mlkin Now I can tell my children and grandchildren, I’ve already beaten Homiiiiii.”

God’s work, people, god’s work.

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The post World Cup Fan Pretends To Be Neymar… & Actually Pulls It Off appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Whether you’re a whisky lover or a complete novice, Johnnie Walker’s extravagant Princes Street experience needs to be on top of your list if you’re visiting Edinburgh, Scotland or even just the UK in general.

Whisky is one of Scotland and the UK’s most important and well-known exports. It’s not just delicious, though: Scotch whisky, with its endlessly complex character and terroir, is a microcosm of Scotland itself. Scotch is truly Scotland in a bottle.

Johnnie Walker – the world’s best-selling Scotch whisky and the most famous blended whisky on the planet – is particularly representative of Scotland. Most bottles of the stuff contain over 30 different individual malt and grain whiskies from distilleries all over Scotland. In that sense, it’s particularly Scottish; almost a liquid ambassador for the country.

Yet people still have a lot of misconceptions about Scotland, whisky and blended whiskies. That’s perhaps not a surprise: the world of whisky has always been a rather exclusive one; a world of insider knowledge, rituals and rules that the average punter might baulk at.

That’s why last year, Johnnie Walker unveiled a lavish new visitor’s centre in the heart of Edinburgh, specifically designed to educate people on the complexities of whisky – and we had the chance to check it out for ourselves.

It’s called Johnnie Walker Princes Street (named after and situated on the Scottish capital’s main shopping street): housed in the old House of Fraser department store, and represents the largest single investment in Scotch whisky tourism. An eight-floor visitor experience, it dominates Princes Street – it’s absolutely prime.

On the ground floor, you get directed to take a questionnaire to figure out what sort of whisky you’re into – how do you feel about apple pie, do you love citrus, that sort of thing. (Here’s a similar one you can try online yourself.)

RELATED: How To Taste Whisky: The Expert Tips You Need To Know

They then present you with a colour-coded wristband that reflects one of the six major flavour characteristics Johnnie Walker and parent company Diageo categorise their whiskies by. Of course, you can try and game the system if you like – more on that later…

Now your journey begins. The roughly 90-minute tour is a crash course in whisky, which takes you through the entire whisky-making process as well as the history of Johnnie Walker.

Australian bartending legend and Johnnie Walker’s global ambassador Tim Philips-Johansson tells me the locals call the tour “Malt Disney”, and that’s a pretty apt description of the experience.

At the start of the tour, you’re treated to a very Disney-esque multimedia performance explaining the history of Johnnie Walker, complete with dynamic stage dressing, conveyor belts and musical swells. It’s a bit camp, but it’s also a bit of fun.

You then get ushered through a series of rooms that detail the whisky-making process, as well as shed some light on how Johnnie Walker blends their famous whiskies, shining a particular light on the four ‘cornerstones’ of Johnnie Walker: Cardhu, Caol Ila, Clynelish and Glenkinchie. It’s these four distilleries from the four corners of Scotland which give Johnnie Walker its smooth, complex flavour.

Midway through the tour, you’re taken to a cocktail room where special taps dispense unique cocktails into colour-coded glasses that correspond to your wristband. You’re given the chance to experiment with adding additional botanicals to your cocktail to emphasise those different flavour profiles. It’s all very hands-on.

The trip takes you to yet another bar, where you have another chance to try another few cocktails that suit your tasting profile – or, if you like, try something different, or just have a dram from Johnnie Walker’s expansive range (sadly, they won’t give you a dram of Blue Label. Trust me, I asked.)

The trip concludes on the top floor of the building, where there are another two bars: the 1820 Rooftop Bar, which might be the coolest place to have drinks and a meal in Edinburgh; and the Explorer’s Bothy, a bar for seasoned whisky lovers that’s home to the most sought-after whiskies from across Scotland, with over 150 special bottles and one of a kind cask editions served up for aficionados.

RELATED: The Difference Between Cheap & Expensive Whisky, Explained By A Whisky Expert

The thing that really struck me about the tour, as well as Johnnie Walker Princes Street more broadly, is how much it really celebrates Scotland. As alluded to previously, learning about Johnnie Walker’s history is to appreciate much of what makes Scotland so special: its rugged, pure natural landscape; the enterprising, canny and hospitable nature of its people; as well as the sort of magic that is Scotch whisky.

The production values are insane, too. Diageo spared no expense here – they’re serious about their mission to get more people drinking whisky. Even the wooden floorboards are cut at 20° angles to mimic Johnnie Walker’s iconic slanted label. It’s pretty mental.

Of course, Diageo didn’t create Princes Street as a charity exercise. They’ve carefully constructed the entire thing so that you’re totally indoctrinated into buying Johnnie Walker and other whiskies.

They make you tasty cocktails that are easy to make and replicate at home; give you the language to describe what sort of whisky you like (or might like) to drink and give you the confidence to talk about the history and process of making whisky. It turns novices into pros, or at the very least, will make them feel like pros.

I think that aspect – confidence – is kind of crucial, and is really the thesis of the experience. Whisky’s always been perceived as exclusive; impenetrable. An ‘if you know, you know’ kind of thing. On the one hand, Johnnie Walker wants to break down those whisky myths, rules and rituals to get more people to drink Scotch, but then at the same time, whisky dilettantes or sceptics who go on the tour now feel as if they’ve been initiated into the exclusive world of whisky aficionados. It’s very clever.

RELATED: Video Sums Up The Brutal Truth About Men Who Love Whisky

It’s also exceptional value for money. The standard tour costs just £28 (~AU$50), which is really pretty reasonable. Hell, you get served at least three drinks during the tour, so you’ve made your money back on the drinks alone – but then you’re also getting an exceptionally fun way to spend an hour or two, plus you learn a lot about Scotch.

Another plus: anyone who goes on the tour gets 10% off at the gift shop on the ground floor. Considering there are some seriously expensive and rare Scotches from the entire Diageo family for sale down there that you can’t get anywhere else, that’s very helpful. (I for one certainly took advantage of the discount…)

All in all, Johnnie Walker Princes Street is an epicurean masterpiece. I’m a real whisky lover and I got a real kick out of it, but it’s even worth a visit if you don’t like whisky or have never tried a drop in your life. You’ll be converted by the end – and you might learn a thing or two, as well. It’s a must-visit if you’re ever in Edinburgh… Or worthy of a detour if you’re not.

My only complaint is that writing this piece has made me desperate for a dram.

Find out more and book a tour at Johnnie Walker’s website here.

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The post Johnnie Walker’s ‘Whisky Wonderland’ Is A Must-Visit appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The Socceroos may be a molehill next to a mountain, but we have a better chance against Argentina in the round of 16 than you might reckon.

After the Socceroos’ incredible win against Denmark, putting us into the World Cup last 16 against Argentina, much of Australia celebrated as if we just won the whole World Cup.

Keeping in that delusionally optimistic spirit, here are all the reasons why the mighty Socceroos have a better chance against a Lionel Messi led Argentina than you might think.

Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia

In case you were asleep under your desk all last week, Argentina have already lost to a minnow. So don’t write us off before we even get started. In fact, why not take heed of this hilarious Saudi supporter whose “Where is Messi” video went well and truly viral.

The Socceroos have already beaten a footballing giant

Denmark (the number 10 ranked team in the world) may not be as good as Argentina (currently the second favourite, behind Brazil, to win the World Cup), but they are a bloody good side. With players hailing almost exclusively from top tier clubs around the world (Eriksen from United, Hojbjerg from Tottenham, Schmeichel formerly from Leicester, Christensen from Barcelona) they still lost to the Socceroos. Though this doesn’t prove lighting will strike twice, it at least proves it can strike.

Messi may be the GOAT, but he’s no Roy Keane

I say this as a massive Messi fan (sorry Ronaldo), but he’s not a stereotypical leader (not a yelling and screaming one, anyway). And though Argentina have finally lifted a little of the burden on themselves in recent years by winning the Copa America, they arguably lack the “we always win” mindset of a “winning is in our DNA” team like, say, Real Madrid. Also, this is their last chance to win a World Cup with the GOAT, so no pressure…

Argentina are missing Dybala

Dybala, one of the most exciting attacking players in the world, is not in form, and not getting much (or so far, any) game time, after a hamstring injury put him out of action in October.

There’s no Aguero or Higuain

Being Argentina, we’d imagine their new hold-up men are still world-class, but still, they aren’t household name legends yet.

Argentina doesn’t have a reputation as ‘solid’

Talented? Yes. Easy on the eye? Yup. Lethal? Absolutely. But compared to teams like France and Germany which, despite the latter’s shock exit, still have reputations for being consistent, Argentina still have a bit of a reputation for being hot and cold.

For instance, even though Argentina appeared to have swung the momentum back in their favour at the last World Cup in their knock out game against France, after both Di Maria and Messi got on the scoresheet (making the score 2-1 to Argentina), France were able to play the consistent card, and come back to win. Whether or not this is a deserved reputation, or whether or not it’s all a bit amateur psychology, this is the reputation Argentina have.

Otamendi is getting on a bit

He’s still a great player, but perhaps not as good as he was four years ago.

Emi Martinez’ sh*thousery could get him in trouble

pic.twitter.com/6BZYMAVLkT

— Ads81 (@Ads8110) February 2, 2022

Argentina’s goalkeeper, Emi Martinez, is a top-notch sh*thouse. Though this has worked in his favour previously (seeing him rile other players up while still playing well himself), there is always the chance that playing mind games and trying to troll other players and fans can backfire on you.

Their coach is sh*tting bricks

Well, that may be a slight exaggeration, but he isn’t taking Australia lightly. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni recently told reporters: “If you think Australia will be easy you’re wrong.”

“All the games are hard. Anyone who thinks the match against Australia will be easy is wrong. We’re not favourites.”

“If you think that just because we won today, we are going to become World Cup winners, you’re wrong.”

Australia have no pressure on them

A team of unknowns who have delighted their nation already, and have already made history, Australia will be going into Sunday morning’s clash with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

As the Sydney Morning Herald satirically put it this morning: “In anonymity is unity. Contrast these Socceroos with the Golden Generation of 2006, which had lots of stars, lots of egos. The current group is more of a Copper Generation, cheaper but functional.”

We’re team bandwagon all the way.

RELATED: Australians Celebrate Round 16 Qualification As If They Just Won The World Cup

Australia has beaten Argentina before

It may not make a shred of difference now, but did you know that in 1988, Australia beat Barcelona 4-1 in the Bi-Centennial Gold Cup. Also, as Australia proved recently against Denmark (and their $545 million squad), football is about moments, not millions. We just need one more magic one…

Argentina probably won’t be on performance-enhancing substances this time

Argentina and Australia faced off in a a two-legged playoff in 1993. The winner determined who would qualify for the 1994 World Cup.

Nearly 44,000 fans watched the first leg in Sydney – a 1-1 draw. Argentina won the second leg 1-0 in Buenos Aires, however, progressing to the World Cup.

In 2011, however, a storm of controversy emerged, when Maradona admitted “his team had taken banned drugs prior to the playoff with the Socceroos,” (Sporting News).

He also accused former FIFA vice-president and head of Argentina’s football association Julio Grondona of knowing about the drug use. Wild times, and times that are definitely a bygone era in football.

Di Maria has question marks

The biggest worry for Argentina right now is 34-year-old Angel Di Maria. The iconic Real Madrid, Manchester United and PSG star recently had an injury scare. According to Sporting News, “scans reportedly showed no specific muscular issue, with his discomfort chalked up to fatigue, meaning he could be sat for this match.”

Australia’s defence is in form

Waited for 48 years for a #FIFAWorldCup clean sheet.

Now got two in two #Socceroos #GiveIt100 pic.twitter.com/lbhyichaF4

— Socceroos (@Socceroos) November 30, 2022

Australia have waited almost 50 years for a World Cup clean sheet. Now we have just got two in a row.

Centre backs Kye Rowles and Harry Souttar have been in fine form of late. Souttar especially is a threat at both ends with his almost two-metre tall frame.

While we are always a bit vulnerable on the wings, we have dominated our own penalty area recently and performed some beautiful last-ditch wonders. So it won’t be a walk in the park (we hope) for Messi to go all Barcelona style on us (also, he doesn’t have Jordi Alba, Suarez or Neymar to tee him up here).

Australia’s belief in themselves is also at a record high, with Aussie soccer great Robbie Slater saying on Fox Sports Lab: “It seemed impossible at the start of the tournament but the belief that’s grown in this group has been amazing.”

Argentina have had a couple of hours less rest than Australia (since their last game)

We may be clutching at straws here, but let’s be real. It’s Australia vs. Argentina. Straws are all we got.

Argentina’s coach isn’t happy about it though, saying: “I think it’s crazy that we’re playing in just over two days despite being winners of this group.”

“I can’t understand it. We have two days [to recover] and then we have to play it [the Round of 16 game].”

Messi is (arguably) at his best when he’s angry

Perhaps the Socceroos are just too nice to get the best out of Messi? And maybe that’s a good thing? The other point to note is that, while Messi is still the GOAT, he’s a bit more of a playmaker now. It’s been a while since he’s gone on a Maradona-style run from the halfway line and scored.

Australia isn’t as bereft of talent as you might think

As harshly as we often write ourselves off, we have a bit of flair (even if that flair spends a fair bit of time on the bench). Not only do we have our penalty-saving savant Andrew Redmayne, but we’ve also got Verona playmaker Ajdin Hrustic. Hrustic, who is 26, “is without rival…Australia’s most creative midfielder,” FIFA says.

FIFA calls him “elegant and confident” and says “his ability to both score and create established the Verona playmaker as the breakout star of the Socceroos’ Qatar 2022 qualifying campaign.”

Per FIFA: “Team-mates have been quick to acknowledge as much, with winger Matt Leckie lauding Hrustic’s ability to ‘at any time of the game, pick a pass or do something special’. World Cup defences should also be wary of his capacity for the spectacular in set-piece situations, which was demonstrated more than once during the World Cup preliminaries.”

We’ve also got winger Awer Mabil, who plays in La Liga. Mabil is another FIFA “player to watch” even if he tends to come on as a substitute.

There you have it: tune in on Sunday at 6am AEST to watch the match.

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The post The Socceroos Are More Likely To Beat Argentina Than You Think appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

With the round of 16 looming in Qatar, bookies aren’t feeling particularly confident about Japan’s chances… But backing the surprisingly ascendent team might just be the best bet you make this World Cup.

The Samurai Blue, who were ranked 23rd in the world entering the 2022 FIFA World Cup, have been one of the most exciting sides to watch so far at the biggest single sporting event in the world – with their win this morning over Spain being a particular highlight.

Despite taking down Spain, however, bookies are still giving Japan fairly long odds of winning the whole thing. For example, SportsBet is currently only giving Japan AU$51 odds to take home the World Cup: longer odds than Croatia ($31), who they’re set to play next in the round of 16, but better odds than Uruguay ($81), Morocco or the USA (both $91).

For comparison, Australia is getting $201. Ouch. The odds-on favourite remains Brazil, with Sportsbet paying out $3.30 as of publishing.

Yet considering Japan’s recent form, they could be a bit of a dark horse. Beating Spain was no mean feat, nor was beating Germany, another footballing powerhouse. Okay, their loss against Costa Rica was a bit embarrassing, but the fact remains that the Japanese seem in remarkably good form.

The odds are against them for their game against Croatia ($2 for Croatia, $3.90 for Japan and $3.20 for a draw) but they could feasibly beat the Balkan side. They’d likely have to face Brazil after that, which seems a bit more daunting, but let’s just see…

All we’re saying is that a punt on Japan now could make you some serious yen if they end up taking it home.

RELATED: Australians Celebrate Round 16 Qualification As If They Just Won The World Cup

2022 marks only the seventh time Japan has appeared in a FIFA World Cup, although Japan has been one of only a handful of countries to host a World Cup, sharing hosting duties with South Korea back in 2002. They’ve never made it past the round of 16 before… But this could be their year.

Japan plays Croatia on Tuesday 6th of December at 2am AEDT.

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The post Giant Slayers: Japan Could Be A Winning World Cup Bet appeared first on DMARGE Australia.