He’s been a rock in midfield for the Sky Blues in recent seasons, and following two Premierships, two Championships and an FFA Cup, Brandon O’Neill has earned his first senior call up to the Caltex Socceroos.
Hailed for his vision and ability to snuff out opposition attacks, we take a look at the 2018/19 stats that have seen O’Neill earn national team selection.
Starting every game of the season for the Sky Blues, O’Neill completed 1,597 passes for a success rate of 82.6%, making 66.8 passes per 90 minutes of action.
Of those passes, 46 proved key to launching attack that led to goals while he was directly involved in assisting seven Sydney FC strikes.
Speaking of goals, O’Neill registered two himself, both in stunning fashion from outside the area against the Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory.
From a defensive aspect, O’Neill won 60.8% of his tackles, making 37 clearances, five blocks and 55 interceptions. The Perth born midfielder also won over 50% of his aerial duels and duels, making himself a standout defensively in the Sky Blues’ setup.
O’Neill and the Socceroos will face off against Korea Republic in Busan on Friday 7 June.
Korea Republic vs. Caltex Socceroos (International Friendly)
Date: Friday, 7 June 2019
Venue: Busan Asiad Stadium, Busan, Korea Republic
Kick-off: 8.00pm (local); 9.00pm (AEST)
Broadcast: Live in Australia on FOX SPORTS and Network 10 (10 Bold)
