With a valuable training camp in Dubai now completed, October NAB Young Footballer of the Year nominee Brandon Borrello believes the Olyroos are ready to complete the job and book their ticket to Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Aurelio Vidmar’s side will arrive in Doha today (Mon) for the start of the AFC U-23 Championships, which doubles as the qualifiers for the Olympics.
“It’s been very valuable. We’ve trained hard over the last few days and all the boys have come in and gelled,” Borrello told FFA TV.
“It’s been a great stepping stone in the lead up to our qualification.
“With this team that we have going into the qualification, I believe we can go quite far,” Borrello added.
“It would mean the world [to go to the Olympics. This has been one of my goals for a while now. I’m focused that I’m in the team that goes to qualify for an Olympics.”
FFA TV | BB ready for gun performance
Borrello, who has been in exceptional form for Brisbane Roar in the Hyundai A-League, is likely to be part of as exciting, attacking system Vidmar will unleash at the tournament.
He has already form a lethal partnership at Hyundai A-League level with Olyroos team-mate and fellow NAB Young Footballer of the Year nominee Jamie Maclaren, which he hopes they can take to another level in the green and gold.
With the likes of Adam Taggart, Andrew Hoole, Connor Pain and Mustafa Amini also in the squad, Borrello believes the goals will flow in coming weeks.
“It’s great…knowing there’s another player on the pitch that can score goals,” he said.
“It’s not just coming from me or [Maclaren], it’s coming from everyone across the board. We can all score goals here and we play an attacking style of football that allows us to score goals.
“Preparation like this, the players get an understanding who makes the runs in certain ways.
“I think when we have a better understanding of each other, the goals will flow.”
The Olyroos open the tournament on Thursday against UAE, followed by games against Vietnam (Sunday) and Jordan (Wednesday) to round out the group stage.