Justin Meram’s stock was dropping fast and he knew it. Orlando City had spent more than a million dollars to acquire him from the Columbus Crew, where he had established himself as one of the most dangerous wingers in MLS, scoring 37 goals in 188 appearances, but his penchant for beating defenders from his favored position on the left wing didn’t translate so well to Orlando, and his relationship with fans had become toxic.



“I was destroying my career,” Meram said about his time in Orlando. “I was destroying my name that I had built up over the years. There had never been a cloud over my name.”



How things have changed. After a return to Columbus and a subsequent transfer to Atlanta United, the 30-year-old Iraq international is now in the midst of a resurgence as the first-choice left wingback for the defending MLS Cup champions. It’s a new role for him, which is perhaps fitting, because he has found a completely different...