Several Crew players will be busy with friendlies and World Cup qualifiers during the upcoming international break. Justin Meram isn't currently among that group.

Late last week, defenders Jonathan Mensah and Harrison Afful and midfielder Mohammed Abu were called up to Ghana’s national team for a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier as well as a pair of friendlies. On Tuesday, fullback Jukka Raitala was named to Finland’s squad for a friendly against Lichtenstein and a World Cup qualifier against Ukraine.

Iraq’s national team is set to play three games this month — a friendly against Jordan later this week followed by a June 7 friendly against South Korea and a June 13 World Cup qualifier against Japan — but Meram confirmed Tuesday he is not currently on Iraq’s roster for the upcoming games, though he did receive a call inquiring about his availability for the scrimmage this week against Jordan.

“I haven’t gotten a call. I got one call about the friendly, the game in Basra in (southern Iraq) for the friendly against Jordan and we have a game. It didn’t fall in the FIFA window, so I couldn’t go to that,” Meram said. “That was the only call up I had, so other than that I haven’t spoken to the new manager about the new games.”

In March, Meram announced his decision not to play for Iraq’s national team for qualifiers against Australia and Saudi Arabia.

“I’m not going to get into details, but there were many different factors going into this,” Meram said March 13. “I had to sit down and really think hard about it and I made a decision based on myself and my career.”

A decision not to travel to a pair of World Cup qualifiers in March did not close the door for Meram on returning to Iraq’s national team.

As of Tuesday, that door remains open, Meram said. Iraq is set to play World Cup qualifiers against Thailand on Aug. 30 and the United Arab Emirates on Sept. 4.

“Like I said, it wasn’t a permanent move (to sit out in March). It was kind of something that I was dealing with personally,” Meram said. “I will speak to the new manager and (national team administrator) and go from there.”

Meram sub explained

Two things were clear Tuesday when Crew coach Gregg Berhalter and Meram discussed the midfielder being subbed off in the 40th minute of the Crew’s 5-0 loss to Toronto FC on Friday: Meram wasn’t pleased with the move at the time and it’s water under the bridge entering Wednesday’s game.

Meram has made 116 regular-season starts in MLS. Friday marked the first time he had been removed before half in any start. A replay of the substitution showed Meram was upset with the decision.

“Look, I wasn’t happy at all. I’m sure you guys have seen footage or whatnot, but I have so much fuel for me for helping this club and reaching a limit that I didn’t feel it should have been me if I know the level I’m playing at right now and how I can help, but that’s (Berhalter’s) decision,” Meram said Tuesday. “He makes his decision based on the team. I can’t dwell on one game. Was I playing great? No. Was I playing out of position? Yes. But that’s where he’s putting me, I have to accept the role and give him my best and on that day he didn’t feel it.

“Honestly, nothing I can do but put it behind me and I put so far past that I don’t even remember the game anymore.”

Berhalter reiterated Tuesday that the decision to bring in Artur for Meram came down to tactics and wanting to add an extra body to the central midfield.

“It was less about making a statement than saying, ‘OK, this is what the team’s going to need in this situation to be successful.’ It was unfortunate they scored the second goal while we were trying to do it,” Berhalter said. “If we keep it 1-0, maybe get a goal and now we’re more sound defensively. Aside from that, I think we’re not trying to send messages to guys.”

Berhalter made clear Monday that Meram is a starter for Crew SC as well as one of the team’s most productive offensive players. The “message” Berhalter described is one implied in soccer and one that extends beyond the Meram substitution.

“We all have a level we need to maintain,” Berhalter said in response to a question regarding how he will construct his lineup Wednesday. “If we don’t maintain it, there’s a possibility you may not play.”

Meram, the team’s co-leader in goals (7) and assists (4), said his unhappiness with the decision Friday hasn’t impacted what he considers a strong relationship with Berhalter.

“Look, we’ve both helped each other. In his coaching career I feel like I’ve helped him in ways and he’s helped me in many ways, right?” Meram said. “We have a great relationship and like I said, one game isn’t going to define us. Again, I put it so far past that I don’t even remember what happened."

Naess, Kamara left off Norway roster

When the Football Association of Norway announced Tuesday its roster for a June 10 World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic and a June 13 friendly against Sweden, the list of names did not include Crew defender Nicolai Naess and forward Ola Kamara.

Naess, 24, has not made a national team appearance for Norway. Kamara, 27, last appeared for his national team in 2014.

In April, Kamara was fairly outspoken about the MLS duo’s non-inclusion on the national team roster. The conversation began with a series of tweets from Kamara pumping up his teammate, who had recently made the MLSSoccer.com Team of the Week, and continued with a discussion of Norway’s world ranking.

“U.S. players (from MLS) are playing for a highly-ranked national team and we are ranked (No. 86) in the world and me and Nico can’t play (for Norway)?” Kamara said in April. “It’s weird, but of course we have good players in Norway as well. It’s a goal for both of us, I think.”

Reiterating a point he made in April, Berhalter said national team call ups will come for the pair if they can maintain their current levels.

“Ola’s a guy that I’m surprised he hasn’t gotten called in and Nico is a guy that I think in the future can get called in,” Berhalter said. “With both of them, if they maintain a good level, I’m sure that will come.”

Stoppage time

Berhalter said Afful (knee soreness) returned to full training Tuesday.

@AEricksonCD