He’s been outstanding for Atlanta United in a 2019 Cup run that had a bumpy start. The team arrived for their first game in South Carolina, only to discover the Charleston Battery’s field unplayable. It required a long drive home, a late-night arrival and a game behind closed-doors the next night in Kennesaw, Georgia. “These things happen when you’re a pro and you have to be a pro about it,” said Meram, who plays internationally for his parents’ birthplace of Iraq.
He didn’t let it get to him. Far from it. He righted the ship after United went down a goal early and set up a pair of goals for Brandon Vazquez in overtime to force a 3-1 win.
Last year Meram missed out on Atlanta United storming to the MLS title, beating the Portland Timbers in front of more than 70,000 home fans to seal the deal. It wasn’t confetti and parades and medals for him in 2018 – it was a long way from the joy of any kind. The winger was mired in an unhappy stint with Orlando City, where nothing seemed to go right. Orlando fans, who never warmed to Meram’s charms, were ready to welcome him back with ugliness in the 2019 Open Cup Semifinal.
Rough Orlando Treatment as Fuel
“It wasn’t easy. You’re human and you have emotions,” said Meram about the constant abuse – some of which crossed the line – he received during Atlanta’s 2-0 win in downtown Orlando to secure a place in a first-ever Open Cup Final. “I just used it as fuel and all the taunting and all that stuff, you could see that it didn’t effect my game.”
Meram was sensational in that Semifinal, one that Orlando City fans were looking forward to after learning Josef Martinez – Atlanta’s star striker – was out with injury. But Meram picked up the baton in attack and tortured his marker out left. He constantly poked holes in the City back-line and forced defenders into mistakes. And he never even glimpsed the purple wall that rained abuse down on him from start to finish.
“He’s a tricky player,” said teammate Jeff Larentowicz of Meram. “He’s kind of a three-dimensional player with a lot of weapons.” Atlanta United coach Frank de Boer, a man of few words, is pleased with his first-year man who’s adjusted well to a wing-back spot: “I don’t think there’s anyone quite like him; he’s a different kind of attacking player.”
Meram is a rare American-born player. His skills are deep set in the creative arts. He’s best going straight at a defender and locking up their knees. If he stands you up, you’re in trouble. Doesn’t matter who you are. He’s fast but not too fast. His balance is excellent and his passing is deadly. “I love being able to play with flair and dominate the opponent – this is what I love most about the game. I love rolling up my sleeves in a hostile environment,” said Meram, who claimed he was “destroying his career” during his sub-par season with Orlando. “I’ll never forget that game in Orlando [the 2019 Open Cup Semifinal] – with the whole stadium against me from the warm-up to the final whistle.”
Mixed Emotions on Home Returns
It wasn’t the only old home Meram had to visit during this inspired run to the 2019 Open Cup Final. He had to travel to MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, too, where he once played under now U.S. National Team boss Gregg Berhalter – who Meram calls the “most influential person” in his development. It was there, in central Ohio, where he found his way as a pro. “The Cup is always complicated and you’re always going to have to play in places that were once your home,” said Meram. “You have to just deal with it and get on with it.”
