Whether he knew it or not, there was a weight ready to drop on Borek Dockal’s shoulders when he was announced as Philadelphia Union’s newest Designated Player and primary creator. The Union had just spent a season struggling for consistent production out of the No. 10 position, and Dockal was billed as the final piece of a mature midfield that would need to help build possession out of the back while helping a young (and soon to get younger) defense.
Early on, Dockal looked like an explorer arriving in a new world as he felt out the way MLS teams defended him and sought to find an understanding with his teammates.