It had been 13 months since Brandon Borrello set foot in a Socceroos camp.
After a frustrating stint at SG Dynamo Dresden to end his spell in Germany, Borrello had returned to Australia with Western Sydney Wanderers, looking to find minutes and form back in his home country.
Borrello did just that, having a positive start to the campaign as a right winger in a well-drilled Wanderers side.
However, it was his movement to centre-forward that really brought his skillset to life.
In his 11 games in a central striking role, Borrello has played a part in 10 goals, a fantastic return for the forward who didn’t score once competitively in his last campaign in Germany.
But more than that, he brought a unique set of attributes to the frontline, showcasing his positivity and willingness to go forward, his technical ability both in controlling the ball and shielding it with his body, sharp shooting and consistent energy off the ball.
And finally, as a reward for his ferocious form, Borrello was back where he belonged, playing for his beloved Australia.
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He began with a highly promising substitute appearance in the Socceroos’ first match against Ecuador at Commbank Stadium.
Borrello played a significant role in the third goal - Garang Kuol’s first for Australia - and looked positive and energetic after coming on for World Cup hero Mitch Duke in the 62nd minute.
The Wanderers striker, throughout the camp, spoke consistently of the World Cup, both in his delight at what the Socceroos achieved, and also at his hunger to represent the Green and Gold consistently on an international stage.
“Just being back in camp and being around the boys that went to the World Cup and asking them how it was is great.
“It’s really good to sort of get a taste of what they had and it’s definitely something that I’m going to be striving for in the next couple of months going into the Asian Cup and obviously the next World Cup.”
In the Socceroos’ next game, Borrello played from the start, leading the line in place of Duke.
Borrello once again showed the quality that had been on display all season at the Wanderers, having a bright first fifteen minutes both with and without the ball.
However, in the 16th minute, Craig Goodwin and Jackson Irvine exchange a clever one-two, and the former drove forwards towards goal.
His right-footed effort from distance clattered against the post, but bounced off the inside and across the face of the goalline.
From a tough angle, Borrello remained calm and clinical, slotting the ball home with his weaker foot to score his first for the Green and Gold.
“It was good play from Goodie (Goodwin) on the break,” said Borrello, remembering the goal.
“It’s a good strike that’s hit the post and we just talked about getting it on the rebound.
“So the ball came out and I just made sure to put it in nice and neat with the left foot.”
It was an instinctual finish from Borrello, relying on pure technique and awareness to quickly adapt and find the target.
Borrello has picked up goalscoring tips on his European journey, which have translated fluidly into Australia, and believes instinct, or not thinking about scoring, is the key to finding the back of the net.
“Playing in Europe there was always pressure to score goals, and I figured the more you think about it the less you score.
“So it was kind of just step on the pitch, do your thing, and then whatever comes will come.”
And it was the goal that in fact came.
However, the result didn’t go Australia’s way, as the Subway Socceroos went down narrowly to a high-quality Ecuador team.
“It felt good for a while and then they got one back and another one, so yeah," he continued.
“I’m obviously really proud to score my first goal on home soil but it would have been nice to cap it off with a win.”
In the meantime, Borrello will be in action with the Wanderers, as he looks to continue his form in the A-League Men to earn another Socceroos call-up for the next international window.