He Scores!
Justin Meram goes pro
By Steve Stein
Justin Meram has a firm grasp of what it means to be the first Chaldean to play a professional sport in the United States.
“I’m proud to say who I am,” he said. “I look at this as a great opportunity to get our community’s name out there in places where they’ve never heard of Chaldeans.”
Meram was selected by the Columbus Crew on January 13 in the first round of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The 6-foot-1, 168-pound forward from the University of Michigan was the 15th pick overall.
He signed a contract shortly after the draft with the league, which is protocol for MLS players. While he wouldn’t reveal contract terms, Meram said it was for more money than he expected.
The Eisenhower High School graduate from Shelby Township burst onto the national soccer scene last fall thanks to an outstanding senior season at Michigan.
He scored 17 goals and had eight assists in 23 games, but those numbers tell only half his story.
Meram scored a dozen goals in his last nine games, helping the Wolverines (17-5-3) win their first Big Ten Tournament championship and advance to the NCAA semifinals for the first time in team history. His five goals in four NCAA tourney games led the nation.
Columbus traded popular forward Steven Lenhart to the San Jose Earthquakes to obtain the draft pick it used to select Meram.
“If Meram wasn’t available, we wouldn’t have done it,” Crew coach Robert Warzycha told the Columbus Dispatch. “We like his determination. He can shoot and he’s a good finisher. He’s very active in front of the net, which is something we definitely need.”
Meram appreciates the compliments.
“They have confidence in me, and I won’t let them down,” he said. “This is a dream come true, but I’m not satisfied with where I’m at. I’m going to work harder and harder to achieve my goals.”
Those goals include being named the MLS Rookie of the Year this season and someday playing on the U.S. national team.
Columbus is the closest MLS team physically to Detroit, so Meram’s family and friends won’t have to travel far to watch him play there. He’s the youngest of Hikmat (Sam) and Lamia’s four sons.
After opening the MLS season at 7:30 p.m. March 19 on the road against D.C. United at RFK Stadium, the Crew will take on the New York Red Bulls in their home opener at 4 p.m. March 26 at Crew Stadium.
The Crew has made three consecutive playoff appearances and it won the MLS Cup in 2008, but the team is retooling after an early playoff exit last season and Meram obviously is a key part of those plans.
It wasn’t so obvious before the draft. Meram said he was surprised when Columbus selected him because he didn’t meet with Crew officials during the five-day MLS combine in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., that preceded the draft.
“I talked with seven or eight teams, but not Columbus,” he said.
A strong showing in the combine greatly improved Meram’s chances of being selected in the first round. He played three games, and he thought he played well in two of them.
So how does Meram feel about playing in Columbus, home of bitter Michigan rival Ohio State University? It’s no problem because he was recruited by the Buckeyes coming out of junior college and considered playing for them.
Meram, 22, admits he’s been driven by a burning desire to prove people wrong about him as a soccer player ever since no Division I program gave him a serious look coming out of high school.
He ended up going to Yavapai College in Arizona, where he was named 2008 National Junior College Player of the Year and led the team to back-to-back national championships.
Meram had to deal with more setbacks the summer before his senior season at Michigan when he was cut from two semi-pro teams.
“My style is a little different. I guess some coaches don’t appreciate it,” he said. “I’m not a physical player. I rely more on finesse, quickness and footwork, on making eye-popping plays.”