OBETZ, Ohio – Justin Meram is on fire.
After scoring a game-winner for Columbus Crew SC in the club’s 2-1 win over New York City FC, Meram joined the Iraqi national team, where he scored his first and second career international goals in a win over Chinese Taipei and a draw against Thailand.
In his 15th appearance for Iraq, Meram says his debut goal – on a penalty kick in the 90th minute – was simultaneously “a big sigh of relief” and “a dream come true.”
“When someone gives you a penalty, you want to deliver,” he said. “But it was the perfect game for that to happen. It was already 4-1 and I could kind of get an easy one going.”
That goal gave Meram the confidence he needed to score in the next match, in front of a huge crowd in Thailand. And with two goals under his belt, he admits there’s a weight off his shoulders.
“After that first game, I could have had two; I was just so unlucky,” he said. “You’re in the second, third, fourth game and it’s like, ‘Come on.’ It’s always tough. You want to score and you want to be successful because those games are really tough and they’re long travels and you want to make the most of every chance because you don’t know when you’re going to get called in again.
“So it was weighing on me a little bit, not too much where I couldn’t play my game. But now I’m just at a different level of emotion and happiness and confidence with the national team.”
Meram was in the midst of a dry spell in MLS play before his game-winner in the Bronx – his previous MLS game came all the way back on April 25. But after his time with Iraq, can he translate that momentum back to Columbus?
“He already has; he left scoring a goal,” head coach Gregg Berhalter said ahead of Crew SC's trip to Philadelphia on Saturday (7 pm ET, MLS LIVE). “We feel like his form is improving. With these guys it’s all about the current form, because we know they all have the potential to score goals and be effective. Justin is a guy that, at times when he wasn’t scoring, he was still doing a good job. So now that he’s scoring, it’s even better.”
But after seeing Iraq’s rabid fans once again – who flood message boards and social media posts that even mention Meram’s name – the Michigan native has returned to Columbus with a bit of perspective.
“Through all that hardship, this is what [Iraq fans] have to look forward to and what excites them,” he said. “The passion is there. … The Crew are followed by Iraq and [Baghdad] is one of the biggest cities that follow the Crew. It just shows their passion and love for the game, and it means a lot. That’s why I’m happy when I can deliver in a big match against Thailand in front of that crowd. It’s for them.”
