Brandon Borrello stars for Western Sydney Wanderers in win over Newcastle

With the World Cup just around the corner, Wanderers star Brandon Borrello is finding form at the right time.

Brandon Borrello (centre) is congratulate by his Wanderers teammates after scoring. celebrates scoring. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Brandon Borrello reminded national coach Graham Arnold of his Socceroos’ credentials with a starring performance in Western Sydney’s 2-0 win over the Newcastle Jets on Friday night.

The former Brisbane Roar winger scored a goal and hit the woodwork in an impressive attacking display that helped lift the Wanderers at least temporarily to the top of the A-League ladder.

Borrello earnt the most recent of his four Socceroos caps in June last year, and wasn’t a part of Australia’s successful World Cup playoffs squad four months ago.

However, presumably included in Australia’s 55-man squad for the World Cup starting in Qatar next month, Borrello would have done his hopes of inclusion in Arnold’s final 26-man contingent no harm with his effort against the Jets at CommBank Stadium.

Having returned to Australia this season after five years in Germany, Borrello scored his first A-League goal since April 2017 to double the Wanderers lead in the 51st minute.

Charging down the right flank, Borrello cut inside the penalty area on to his left foot before unleashing a shot that evaded Jets goalkeeper Michael Weier on its way to the bottom corner of the net.

Wanderers players celebrate Brandon Borrello’s goal against Newcastle. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Ten minutes later he should have had an assist after setting up teammate Kusini Yengi. However, Yengi’s finish was poor.

Not that it mattered, as the Wanderers were rarely tested by a Newcastle side that tasted defeat for the first time this season.

The Jets’ best chance came in the 56th minute, but Wanderers goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas produced a great save to deny Reno Piscopo, who should have scored.

After a slow start to the contest it was the Wanderers who took control, with the hosts grabbing a deserved lead on the stroke of half-time when Frenchman Romain Amalfitano scored his first A-League goal with the help of a deflection of Newcastle’s former Western Sydney defender Mark Natta.

The goal had been coming, with Borrello having hit the post with a sizzling strike in the 38th minute after Jets midfielder Angus Thurgate had given up possession cheaply.

“We kept it simple, we played to our strengths and we got rewarded,” Borrello told Paramount +.