MIAMI: From Michigan’s minor leagues to the sweltering mania of a Basra international match, Iraqi superstar Justin Meram’s football career is a journey rarely traveled.
The attacking midfielder is enjoying his best season, scoring 13 goals and laying on seven assists to help Columbus Crew reach Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Eastern Conference final, and he spoke to Arab News ahead of the two-legged showdown with Toronto FC, the first leg of which takes place tomorrow.
“For me, it’s about always striving for more, always wanting to get better every year and never being comfortable with my progression as a player,” Meram told Arab News when asked to explain his stellar season.
“I’ve installed that mindset in myself. My coaches instil that in me. Every year we want to go further as a team.”
Meram’s determination comes from his upbringing among Michigan’s 120,000-strong Iraqi Chaldean community. His parents are both from near Mosul in northern Iraq, separately emigrating to the US in the 1970s before meeting in their adopted country.
“I’ve three older brothers. My whole family is involved in sports. I grew up playing the game. You follow your brothers. I was pretty good as a kid and my uncle would train me a lot in my younger years. I still use some moves he taught me at 5 to 6 years old,” said Meram, whose childhood idol was Argentinian all-time great striker Gabriel Batistuta.
“I struggled for several years, but my parents were there to keep me positive and keep me mentally attuned. When you have a lot of good people behind you in your life, as a person and you are involved in the sport you love, you find a way to shine.”
After several years of college soccer, Meram was drafted to Columbus in 2011 and he made his professional debut that February aged 22. He struggled initially to establish himself, which perhaps explains how he was unknown to Iraqi football until a fan group intervened.
Yousif Alkhafajy set up a website to scour the world for players of Iraqi origin after the country’s failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. That search led him to Columbus Crew’s homepage.
“I got a Facebook message from Yousif asking if I was Iraqi, asking if I was interested in playing for a national team,” said Meram, who was voted Columbus Crew’s Most Valuable Player in 2016 and is nominated again this year.
“We started talking more and talking more. There was about a two-year process to get all the paperwork and documentation from my parents, to obtain a passport. Once that happened, I had my first call-up.”
Meram made his debut at the 2014 Gulf Cup in a 1-0 loss to Kuwait, and is now a regular in the team. As one of two Catholics in the squad, he had been nervous about integrating with his teammates.
“My teammates were very open. They would ask me questions, I would ask them. So, the religious side was very easy, much easier than people thought,” said Meram.
“We speak Chaldean at home, they all speak Arabic. When I first got there, it was tough because if you can’t communicate, you can’t laugh, you can’t joke, you can’t get to know someone. Over the years, I’ve learned Arabic. They see my personality. It’s been great.”
Iraq’s national team has endured hardships unparalleled in the international game. For nearly 40 years, the team has rarely played in the country; in 1986, Iraq became the first — and only — nation to reach the World Cup finals without playing any qualifiers at home.
FIFA re-imposed a ban on home internationals in 2013, citing security fears, but in May eased restrictions to permit home friendlies in Basra, Irbil and Karbala. Around 60,000 fans packed into the $550 million Basra Sports City stadium in May as Iraq beat Jordan 1-0 to mark international football’s return to the country.
Meram made his first visit to Iraq to play in their 2-1 victory over Kenya in Basra on Oct. 5.
“It was one of the most life-changing moments of my career,” said Meram.
“Just to see 30,000 Iraqis in the stadium, they’re so passionate. They’re waiting for this moment, for me to get there. When I left the pitch to a standing ovation, their chants gave me goosebumps. I wish we could play all our games there because it was unbelievable.”
A ban on competitive matches remains in place, but with the rout of Daesh and a strong government emerging in Baghdad, prospects for peace are perhaps the best since the 1970s.
“Football is the biggest thing in Iraq. It brings everybody together. Football’s gonna help the country become stronger,” said Meram.
That optimism coincides with an upturn in the national team’s fortunes following an excellent 2017 in which they won five and drew three of nine matches, including taking points from Asian powerhouses Japan and Australia in World Cup qualifying.
Iraq fell short of reaching the finals in Russia, but have already qualified for the 2019 Asian Cup, which kicks off in the UAE in less than 14 months.
Meram is confident Iraq can extend their recent excellent record, with the Mesopotamian Lions following up their surprise 2007 triumph with quarterfinal and semifinal appearances in 2007 and 2011 respectively.
“Going all the way” would constitute success this time around, said Meram, citing the recent appointment of coach Basim Qasim, whose managerial honors include three domestic championships and Iraqi club football’s first Asian title.
“We have such a talented group. It’s just now we’re starting to see with this coach the true Iraqi football style — a lot of combinations, a lot of short plays, just quality. Obviously, you want to win anytime you play but especially for this country, which is enduring so much hardship,” said Meram. “We want to do it for them, not for us. Our big goal is win it all.”
First though, Meram must face table-toppers Toronto for a place in the MLS final. The Canadians hammered Columbus 5-0 in May as a mid-season slump led Ohio’s finest to lose nine games in 14 and make the play-offs an unlikely prospect, but a 10-match unbeaten finish to the regular season propelled them into the knockout rounds.
After beating Atlanta United on penalties, Meram scored as Columbus prevailed 4-3 on aggregate in the semifinals versus Abu Dhabi-owned New York City, who included World Cup winners Andrea Pirlo and David Villa among their ranks.
“This group is very confident. To get here hasn’t been easy. To win in Atlanta, one of the most powerful offenses in the league, and then to (play) against New York City, arguably the second-best team all year, and win that, we feel this is our time right now,” added Meram. “We hope it’s gonna be the same thing with Toronto. We get the first game at home, so we’ll go for it.”
Meram the man for Iraq and the Crew
Meram the man for Iraq and the Crew
Usyk beats Fury in Riyadh showdown to become undisputed heavyweight champion
- Joins likes of Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis and Mike Tyson as undisputed heavyweight champion
- Britain's Fury says he believes he won fight but lost in scoring, looks forward to a rematch
RIYADH: Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury by split decision to win the world’s first undisputed heavyweight championship in 25 years on Sunday, an unprecedented feat in boxing’s four-belt era.
Britain’s Fury was the early aggressor but Usyk gradually took charge and the “Gypsy King” was saved by the bell in the ninth round before slumping to his first career defeat.
Ukraine’s Usyk joins the likes of Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis and Mike Tyson as undisputed heavyweight champion, the first since boxing recognized four major belts in the 2000s.
Britain’s Lennox Lewis was the last man to unify the heavyweight belts — three at the time — after beating Evander Holyfield in 1999.
With the win, the still-undefeated former undisputed cruiserweight champion can legitimately claim to be the best of this era, although a rematch expected in October could provide another twist.
“It is a big opportunity for me, for my family, for my country,” said Usyk, 37, who briefly served as a soldier after the Russian invasion.
“It’s a great time, a great day,” he said, adding that he was “ready for a rematch.”
Fury called it a “fantastic fight with Oleksandr.”
“I believe I won that fight, I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority of them,” he said.
“You know his country is at war, so people are siding with the country at war but make no mistake, I won that fight in my opinion and I will be back.”
Two judges scored it for Usyk by scores of 115-112 and 114-113 while the third gave it to Fury 114-113. The victory extended Usyk’s professional record to 22-0. After his first loss, Fury stands at 34-1-1.
Usyk, who adds Fury’s WBC belt to his IBF, WBA and WBO titles, looks set to go down as one of the greats after dominating at amateur, cruiserweight and now the top division.
A fired-up Fury came running out of his corner to start the fight and the 6ft 9ins man (2.06m) man was quickly into his rhythm, keeping the shorter Usyk back with his jab and playing to the crowd.
Usyk got inside with some quick combinations while Fury landed some heavy body shots. By round four, the Mancunian was taunting his ever-advancing opponent and showboating, guard down.
Usyk called two low shots in round five and got caught with a left hook as Fury continued to look comfortable, landing a telling uppercut in the following round and bobbing and weaving to stay out of range.
But the Ukrainian tagged Fury with two clean lefts in the seventh and landed a punishing hook that dazed the “Gypsy King” in the eighth.
By the next round, a relentless Usyk barrage had Fury in serious trouble and the wobbling, bleeding Mancunian took a standing count before being saved by the bell.
Fury recovered his poise and with the match in the balance heading into the final round, both fighters were finding the target.
Usyk's promoter Alex Krassyuk believed that the Ukrainian was denied a knock-out victory when the referee stepped in as Fury looked about to hit the deck in round nine.
“I believe the referee saved Tyson from a knock-out and stole the ninth-round knock-out, which should have happened,” Krassyuk said.
Wladimir Klitschko was among the legends watching along with Saudi-based football stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, who like boxing are grateful beneficiaries of Saudi Arabia's lavish push into sports.
Riyadh’s newly built, 22,000-capacity Kingdom Arena was packed when Usyk strode out for his ringwalk at 1:30 am (2230 GMT) wearing a green cossack coat and fur hat.
Fury followed, dancing to Barry White and Bonny Tyler’s “Holding out for a Hero” in a green sleeveless jacket and back-to-front baseball cap.
It set the stage for a clash of two fighters with impeccable pedigrees and very different approaches to the sport.
Fury has had a rollercoaster career, with lows including a two-year, backdated drug ban and struggles with alcohol, cocaine and depression.
Fury had shed 15lb from his last outing when, sluggish and out of shape, he was knocked down by ex-MMA fighter Francis Ngannou en route to a split decision in October.
Usyk, by contrast, has been the model of consistency with a career that was always on the rise.
The 37-year-old from Simferopol in Crimea put together an outstanding amateur record, winning European and world titles and Olympic gold in 2012.
After turning pro, he unified the cruiserweight belts in 15 fights before moving up to heavyweight, where he took three belts from Anthony Joshua in 2021 and won their rematch the following year.
Usyk in tears for late father after historic heavyweight win
- Promoter Alex Krassyuk believed that Usyk was denied a knock-out victory when the referee stepped in as Fury looked about to hit the deck in round nine
RIYADH: An emotional Oleksandr Usyk shed tears for his late father after crowning a brilliant career by becoming boxing’s first four-belt undisputed heavyweight world champion on Sunday.
The 37-year-old Ukrainian won a split decision against Britain’s Tyson Fury in Riyadh in the first heavyweight unification fight since 1999.
The former European and world amateur champion, Olympic gold medallist and undisputed cruiserweight champ — still undefeated as a professional — now adds the ultimate boxing crown.
Afterwards Usyk, who needed four stitches to a cut above his right eye, and who was headed to hospital for a scan of his jaw, remembered his father, who died shortly after his Olympic victory in 2012.
“I miss my father,” he said, wiping his tears with his T-shirt. “I know he’s here.”
Usyk has missed children’s birthdays and even the birth of his daughter during his eight-month camp for the Fury fight, originally scheduled for February before the Briton suffered a cut in training.
His promoter Alex Krassyuk believed that Usyk was denied a knock-out victory when the referee stepped in as Fury looked about to hit the deck in round nine.
“I believe the referee saved Tyson from a knock-out and stole the ninth-round knock-out, which should have happened,” Krassyuk said.
But Usyk said: “No knock-out, no problem.”
“I don’t think about it because we had a win.”
Usyk beats Fury in Riyadh ‘Ring Of Fire’ showdown to become undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion
- Joins the likes of Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis and Mike Tyson as undisputed heavyweight champion
- Two judges scored it for Usyk 115-112 and 114-113 while the third gave it to Fury 114-113
- Britain's Fury says he believed he won the fight but lost in the scoring, looks forward to a rematch
RIYADH: Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury by split decision to win the world’s first undisputed heavyweight championship in 25 years on Sunday, an unprecedented feat in boxing’s four-belt era.
Britain’s Fury was the early aggressor but Usyk gradually took charge and the “Gypsy King” was saved by the bell in the ninth round before slumping to his first career defeat.
Ukraine’s Usyk joins the likes of Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis and Mike Tyson as undisputed heavyweight champion, the first since boxing recognized four major belts in the 2000s.
Britain’s Lennox Lewis was the last man to unify the heavyweight belts — three at the time — after beating Evander Holyfield in 1999.
With the win, the still-undefeated former undisputed cruiserweight champion can legitimately claim to be the best of this era, although a rematch expected in October could provide another twist.
“It is a big opportunity for me, for my family, for my country,” said Usyk, 37, who briefly served as a soldier after the Russian invasion.
“It’s a great time, a great day,” he said, adding that he was “ready for a rematch.”
Fury called it a “fantastic fight with Oleksandr.”
“I believe I won that fight, I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority of them,” he said.
“You know his country is at war, so people are siding with the country at war but make no mistake, I won that fight in my opinion and I will be back.”
Two judges scored it for Usyk by scores of 115-112 and 114-113 while the third gave it to Fury 114-113. The victory extended Usyk’s professional record to 22-0. After his first loss, Fury stands at 34-1-1.
Usyk, who adds Fury’s WBC belt to his IBF, WBA and WBO titles, looks set to go down as one of the greats after dominating at amateur, cruiserweight and now the top division.
A fired-up Fury came running out of his corner to start the fight and the 6ft 9ins man (2.06m) man was quickly into his rhythm, keeping the shorter Usyk back with his jab and playing to the crowd.
Usyk got inside with some quick combinations while Fury landed some heavy body shots. By round four, the Mancunian was taunting his ever-advancing opponent and showboating, guard down.
Usyk called two low shots in round five and got caught with a left hook as Fury continued to look comfortable, landing a telling uppercut in the following round and bobbing and weaving to stay out of range.
But the Ukrainian tagged Fury with two clean lefts in the seventh and landed a punishing hook that dazed the “Gypsy King” in the eighth.
By the next round, a relentless Usyk barrage had Fury in serious trouble and the wobbling, bleeding Mancunian took a standing count before being saved by the bell.
Fury recovered his poise and with the match in the balance heading into the final round, both fighters were finding the target.
Usyk's promoter Alex Krassyuk believed that the Ukrainian was denied a knock-out victory when the referee stepped in as Fury looked about to hit the deck in round nine.
“I believe the referee saved Tyson from a knock-out and stole the ninth-round knock-out, which should have happened,” Krassyuk said.
Wladimir Klitschko was among the legends watching along with Saudi-based football stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, who like boxing are grateful beneficiaries of Saudi Arabia's lavish push into sports.
Riyadh’s newly built, 22,000-capacity Kingdom Arena was packed when Usyk strode out for his ringwalk at 1:30 am (2230 GMT) wearing a green cossack coat and fur hat.
Fury followed, dancing to Barry White and Bonny Tyler’s “Holding out for a Hero” in a green sleeveless jacket and back-to-front baseball cap.
It set the stage for a clash of two fighters with impeccable pedigrees and very different approaches to the sport.
Fury has had a rollercoaster career, with lows including a two-year, backdated drug ban and struggles with alcohol, cocaine and depression.
Fury had shed 15lb from his last outing when, sluggish and out of shape, he was knocked down by ex-MMA fighter Francis Ngannou en route to a split decision in October.
Usyk, by contrast, has been the model of consistency with a career that was always on the rise.
The 37-year-old from Simferopol in Crimea put together an outstanding amateur record, winning European and world titles and Olympic gold in 2012.
After turning pro, he unified the cruiserweight belts in 15 fights before moving up to heavyweight, where he took three belts from Anthony Joshua in 2021 and won their rematch the following year.
Swiatek demolishes Sabalenka to win third Rome title
- She became the first woman since Serena Williams in 2013 to win at Madrid and Rome in the same season
- She will next defend her French Open crown later this month
ROME: Iga Swiatek won the Rome Open on Saturday after sweeping aside Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-3 in the final to claim her third Foro Italico title.
World number one Swiatek comfortably prevailed against second-ranked Sabalenka in the last major tournament before she defends her French Open crown.
In front of a packed center court crowd Swiatek won her 12th successive match on clay and became the first woman since Serena Williams in 2013 to win at Madrid and Rome in the same season.
Swiatek will be red-hot favorite to win her fourth title, and third in a row, at Roland Garros which starts later this month after besting Belarusian Sabalenka as she did at the recent Madrid final.
“Another final, another great battle. After Madrid I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, it can always go both ways,” said Swiatek on court.
“We’ll see about that Roland Garros final!“
The Pole took her winning record over Sabalenka to 8-3 in another hugely impressive display from what has been an almost flawless tournament from the four-time Grand Slam champion, who didn’t drop a single set on her way to another championship victory.
Saturday’s match was less dramatic than Madrid’s three-set thriller as Sabalenka, who has won the two most recent Australian Opens, gave herself too much to do.
Swiatek took the opening set in just 36 minutes in a clinical display of tennis against Sabalenka, who has said repeatedly that Rome is her dream tournament to win.
Going into Saturday’s final Swiatek had won 97 percent of her matches in which she went one set ahead since the start of 2022 and Sabalenka didn’t help her cause by wasting seven break points over two games in the second set.
After Swiatek broke Sabalenka’s serve in game seven it was only a matter of time before she closed out the match and championship.
“I would say the first set I didn’t play well at all. I wasn’t, I don’t know, feeling my game well,” Sabalenka told reporters.
“In the second set I just tried to stay a little bit more aggressive... I just tried to put her a little bit under pressure.
“I had couple of opportunities to break her serve. Probably if I would take that opportunity, the match would go differently. I didn’t use it, so it is how it is.”
On Sunday Alexander Zverev bids to win his second Rome title when he faces Nicolas Jarry in the men’s final.
Zverev is in his 11th Masters final, equalling Boris Becker’s record for the most by a German since the series began in 1990.
Leverkusen become first team to complete Bundesliga season unbeaten
- Cologne were relegated after a 4-1 loss at Heidenheim
- Union Berlin scored in stoppage time against Freiburg to win 2-1 and beat the drop
LEVERKUSEN, Germany: Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday became the first team in Bundesliga history to go through an entire season unbeaten after a 2-1 home win against Augsburg extended their undefeated streak in all competitions to 51 games.
Crowned champions for the first time in April, goals from Victor Boniface and Robert Andrich put Leverkusen — who play the Europa League final against Atalanta and the German Cup final this week — on course for victory.
“Totally deserved. It was our goal after winning the title against Bremen. Very proud of the team — very satisfied and very happy,” said Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso.
“We can enjoy it just a little bit — and recover tomorrow.”
Elsewhere on the final day of the league campaign, Cologne were relegated after a 4-1 loss at Heidenheim.
Union Berlin scored in stoppage time against Freiburg to win 2-1 and beat the drop, leapfrogging Bochum who will play a two-legged relegation play-off against second-division Fortuna Duesseldorf after losing 4-1 at Werder Bremen.
Leverkusen took the lead after 12 minutes when Amine Adli forced Augsburg goalkeeper Tomas Koubek into an error, winning possession before squaring for Boniface to tap in from close range.
Midfield star Andrich doubled Leverkusen’s lead, backheeling in a rebound after 27 minutes.
Augsburg teenager Mert Komor pulled one back on his first start for the visitors with a stunning strike on the 62nd-minute mark, but Leverkusen held on to win ahead of what could be a historic week.
At the other end of the table, Union — who were playing in the Champions League against the likes of Real Madrid as recently as December — were locked 1-1 at home to Freiburg in stoppage time and headed for a relegation playoff clash with Duesseldorf.
Union had been reduced to 10 men when Michael Gspurning was red carded with four minutes remaining but won a penalty just into stoppage time.
Kevin Volland missed the spotkick but Janik Haberer was there to turn in the rebound and save Berlin.
Bochum, who looked to have secured top-division football with a 4-3 win at Union Berlin two weeks ago, will now need to beat Duesseldorf in a home and away playoff.
The loser will join relegated Cologne and Darmstadt in the second division.
Serhou Guirassy scored a brace as Stuttgart won 4-0 at home against Borussia Moenchengladbach, leapfrogging Bayern Munich, who lost 4-2 to a Andrej Kramaric-inspired Hoffenheim, into second spot.
Despite being without the injured Harry Kane, Bayern were 2-0 up after just six minutes thanks to goals from Mathys Tel and Alphonso Davies.
Maximilian Beier, selected as part of Germany’s Euros squad on Thursday, cut the deficit two minutes later, capitalizing on an error by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to make it 2-1.
Kramaric then scored three goals in 20 minutes to turn the match on its head.
Bayern finished outside the top two for the first time since 2010-11.
“We made a series of a large, individual mistakes and gave the game away. We brought the opponent into the game, defended absolutely inadequately and gave up a 2-0 lead,” outgoing manager Thomas Tuchel said.
“This has happened to us far too often.”
Borussia Dortmund veteran Marco Reus signed off in impressive style in his last home match, scoring a goal and laying on another in a 4-0 win over Darmstadt.
In Dortmund’s last competitive outing before June’s Champions League final with Real Madrid at Wembley, Reus set up Ian Maatsen for the opener after 30 minutes, then added one of his own from a free kick eight minutes later.
Julian Brandt and Donyell Malen added second-half goals to seal the win.
Eintracht Frankfurt came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at home with RB Leipzig, while Mainz came from behind to win 3-1 at Wolfsburg.
