Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Dockal, Fontana could provide reinforcements
CHESTER » Judging by the Philadelphia Union’s training roster Wednesday, the international break arrived at an opportune moment.
As the Union kick off a stretch of five games in 15 days with Saturday’s visit from Montreal, the Union have two key pieces back in the fold via Borek Dockal and Anthony Fontana.
Dockal, who exited the Sept. 1 game at Orlando City with an ankle sprain, trained with no restrictions for the first time Wednesday. That puts him in line for a possible role against Montreal, a matchup of the teams sitting fifth and sixth in the Eastern Conference.
“He was sharp,” manager Jim Curtin said. “A guy that we want to have on the ball for us when we’re clicking on all cylinders, he’s out there playing forward passes. We’re using him in possession. He has a knack for speeding the game up and then also slowing the game down when it needs do, a skill that I think doesn’t get talked enough about. He brings that to our team.”
Curtin had assessed Dockal as looking at around two weeks on the sidelines. His absence would’ve left the Union short at the creative attacking midfield spot, with Ilsinho also exiting the Orlando City game with an adductor strain, aggravating leg issues that have plagued him the last few months. While Ilsinho is progressing well, Curtin targeted the Sept. 26 Open Cup final in Houston as the most realistic return for the Brazilian.
Dockal’s most logical understudy, Anthony Fontana, is also back in training, with Wednesday as his first day back from a hamstring issue, which puts the rookie Homegrown, “in the mix to get back in the team.”
Without Fontana or Dockal, Curtin was looking at displacing Alejandro Bedoya from the No. 8 role where he’s been tremendous this year to step up into the No. 10, with Derrick Jones entering the lineup and responsibilities shifting slightly throughout that midfield triumvirate.
Dockal’s return could circumvent that tinkering. The Czech designated player has five goals and 14 assists, tied for the league lead in the latter category with Toronto’s Sebastian Giovinco and New York Red Bulls’ Kaku.
“He does have a little pain but at this point of the season, everyone has little aches,” Curtin said. “And he’s actually shown that he’s eager to play through it and play with the pain and it doesn’t restrict the movement.”
Speaking of attacking reinforcements, it’s been more than two weeks since Kacper Przybylko joined the Union on trial. The 6-4, 25-year-old Polish striker has impressed in his trial, and the Union have until Friday’s roster freeze to decide if they want to add him to their ranks.
“He’s done well in training,” Curtin said. “A target No. 9 with soft feet. He’s fit into the group good in terms of, even off-the-field stuff, gets along with everybody, so there’s positives there. There’s a decision to be made very quickly. There’s meetings ongoing right now, and we’ll make a decisions that’s best for the club and formulate if this is a player who can add something to the team as we push down the stretch for the playoffs.”
The transfer of Eric Ayuk to Turkish club Osmanlispor last month opened up an international spot and a roster spot that the Union can use, though the player would have to be either via trade within MLS or a free agent. The German-born Polish Under-21 was last with German club Kaiserslautern. Przybylko has played 114 games and scored 20 goals in the German 2.Bunesliga.