Justin Meram

College and amateur

Meram attended Eisenhower High School in Michigan, and played for local side Vardar, before going on to play two years of college soccer at Yavapai College in Arizona. Meram was a program standout at Yavapai, leading his team to back-to-back NJCAA National Championships, earning 2008 National Junior College Player of the Year honors, being named a NSCAA and NJCAA All-American, earning ACCAC Conference Player of the Year honors, and being named MVP at both the national and regional tournaments during the 2007 season, while setting a school record for points and finished second all-time in goals and assists. He transferred to the University of Michigan as a junior in 2009, where he was named to the All-Big Ten second team both years, and to the NSCAA All-GreatLakes Region second team in his senior year in 2010. He finished his college career with 24 goals and 14 assists in 41 games for the Wolverines. During his college years in Arizona, Meram also played with the Arizona Sahuaros, both in the National Premier Soccer League and in local amateur USASA competitions.

Columbus Crew

On January 14, 2011, Meram was drafted in the first round (15th overall) in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft by Columbus Crew. He made his professional debut on February 22, 2011, as a second-half substitute in the first leg of the Crew's CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final series against Real Salt Lake, and made his MLS debut on May 28 as a late substitute in a 3–3 tie with Chivas USA. Meram made his MLS regular season debut on May 28 against Chivas USA. Meram started and recorded an assist in the Crew's U.S. Open Cup match against Richmond Kickers. Meram appeared in both quarterfinal matches against Real Salt Lake as a substitute in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League. In his second season, Meram made 22 appearances and 11 starts to score four goals and record one assist in 960 minutes. Meram recorded goals in three consecutive games during the month of May against FC Dallas, San Jose Earthquakes and Seattle Sounders FC. He also scored the game-winner in the 89th minute on September 19. Meram made 19 appearances split between right midfield, left midfield and forward in his third season with the Black & Gold, recording one goal and one assist. His appearances included eight starts and five substitute appearances at left midfield, one start and three substitute appearances at right midfield and two substitute appearances at forward. He made his season debut against San Jose (March 16) and his first start of the year at right wing in the match at Toronto…

In 2013, Meram began a two-year process to gain dual citizenship to become eligible to represent Iraq. On September 16, 2013, Iraq coach Hakeem Shaker called up Meram for a training session in preparation for a 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification match against Saudi Arabia. In October 2014, Meram was called up for a friendly against Yemen but did not attend as his club team, the Crew, were still involved in the 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs. On November 10, 2014, Meram was included in Iraq's final roster ahead of their group stage matches of the 22nd Arabian Gulf Cup. Meram became the first player in Major League Soccer history to be called up by Iraq. When asked in 2014 about representing Iraq internationally, Meram said, "My goal was (to represent) Iraq from day one." Meram went on to make his international debut, a start in the midfield, in Iraq's opening match of the tournament against Kuwait on November 14, 2014. Meram went on to play the full 90 minutes of the eventual 0–1 loss. In the match, Meram had several chances at goal, including a shot cleared off the line by a Kuwaiti defender just before halftime. Meram earned his second call-up to participate in training camp and friendlies ahead of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. In December 2014, it was announced that Meram was called into Iraq's camp for four friendlies in the following weeks against Kuwait, Iran, and two against Uzbekistan. At that time, he was also named to Iraq's squad for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup to be held in Australia…

Justin was the youngest of Hikmat "Sam" Aziz Meram and Lamia Mansour Hormis' four sons. He and his parents are ethnic Assyrians from the Tel Keppe District of Mosul. Their religious background is Chaldean Catholic. His parents immigrated to the United States and met in the Detroit area. Justin's father came to the United States in 1967 while his mother arrived in 1975. Meram's Iraqi passport lists his name as Justin Hikmat Aziz (with his first name, father's name, and the name of his grandfather), following local naming conventions.