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Borek Dockal gets taste of MLS in Union debut

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Many teams in Major League Soccer would love to have an international midfielder come in and start as their No. 10 immediately. However, the quest to try to find one that will last can be very tough.

The Philadelphia Union felt they got their man earlier this year, acquiring Czech Republic international Borek Dockal on loan from Henan Jianye of the Chinese Super League. Dockal, 29, got his first taste of MLS action on Saturday, starting and playing 77 minutes in the Union’s scoreless draw against the Columbus Crew.

He didn’t on the scoresheet or help create a goal, but the midfielder was able to get valuable game time for his new club and understand just what is needed in this league.

“It can always be better,” Dockal said about his performance. “I have to start at some point so it would’ve been a miracle if I had a perfect performance today. If I look at my preseason and the difficulties here with my injury, I expect more of myself.”

Dockal slotted just behind striker C.J. Sapong and had his first crack towards goal early in the match. A cross into Sapong was then set up for the Czech midfielder, who sliced his effort wide of the target six minutes in.

As the match went on, both teams had several chances to break the deadlock. Gyasi Zardes had two of his four efforts saved by Andre Blake, while Zack Steffen was troubled four times by the Union attack. Defensively, it was stout performances by both backlines who were strong and limited chances inside of the box.

Dockal was again set up by Sapong after 67 minutes, but he skied his effort over the net and into the crowd. He made himself available on overlapping runs down the wing, but it sometimes left a hole in the center of the park for the Union. Positioning will come with time for Dockal who will have more time to get familiar with the team and their tactics.

“Today’s match saw us do a lot of running without the ball which is always difficult if you want to win,” Dockal said. “The positive is we didn’t allow many chances against a tough team. If you are the home team then you want to create much more and it just didn’t happen today.”

Dockal, who took the place of Anthony Fontana in the Union starting line-up, finished the match with an 84% passing completion rate. He also showed the willingness to fight for aerial balls and 50-50’s which is huge for an offensive player. Union head coach Jim Curtin praised the midfielder’s talent and expects more from him as the season goes on.

“I was pleased with him,” Curtin said of Dockal. “You can tell he can pass and is creative with the ball. But also you can see it’s only a week he has trained with the team, so some things need to be worked out. Overall, I was happy with him and the amount of minutes he was able to give.”

A presence like Dockal adds another valuable attacking weapon into a Union squad that already has a variety of different players. David Accam, Fabian Herbers, Cory Burke, and Fontana are just a handful of names who all be in the mix to start each week in the midfield. Dockal’s international experience proves he is a talented asset, but production will definitely need to be his main goal for consistent starts for the club.

“I don’t think MLS was more physical than I am used to, and I know I can play better,” Dockal said. “I wanted to find my position out there today, and also learn about my teammates and where they like to play. I feel as the season goes on I will continue to improve at my position.”

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