Brosque starts to feel at home as Socceroo

Striker Alex Brosque is starting to feel like he belongs in the Socceroos after producing his best international performance to help deliver the 4-2 World Cup qualifying win over Saudi Arabia.

The pacy 28-year-old scored two goals and set up another as Australia came from 2-1 down at AAMI Park on Wednesday night, producing a second-half burst of three goals in three minutes.

While Australia were already through to the final stage of qualifying for Brazil in 2014, Brosque said the added confidence gained by the team, and particularly less established members such as himself, was valuable.

“There were a lot of big names missing, a lot of European-based players that didn’t come back,” said Japan-based Brosque.

“So that just means that the players that do get a chance, we have to take it and we have to show why we’re in the squad.

“Personally I was happy to have contributed my little part to the win.”

Brosque had scored only three goals in 10 previous Socceroos appearances, most of which he has started on the bench.

But he said Osieck had greatly encouraged him and he was pleased to repay him, when given a chance to start.

“It is about repaying that faith and showing (Osieck) why he does pick you and that’s why I guess games like this make me feel a lot better about being in the squad,” Brosque said.

Osieck took plenty from the performance of a side missing players such as Tim Cahill, Brett Holman, Josh Kennedy and Luke Wilkshire.

He said with some players in unfamiliar positions, they took time to click in the first half, but later produced exactly the type of football he wanted.

“I’m very encouraged by this performance, because individually there were some excellent performances,” Osieck said.

“They give me great alternatives for the next qualifying games and the games down the road.”

While the coach was unwilling to say which players most impressed him, he said the return of veteran Mark Bresciano, for his first Socceroos outing since the 2010 World Cup and first under Osieck, added hugely to the midfield.

“Mark was the game-dominating element in the midfield,” Osieck said.

He also said experienced striker Archie Thompson changed the game when he came off the bench in the 63rd minute.

The Socceroos’ burst of three second-half goals began 10 minutes later, with first-half scorer Brosque adding to his tally and A-League stars Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton also scoring.

The Socceroos begin the next qualifying stage on June 8, with the draw to take place on March 9.

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