Throughout the week leading up to an international friendly with German club Eintracht Frankfurt, Crew SC coach Gregg Berhalter painted the match as a reward for his team’s hard work in seven training sessions to begin the Gold Cup break.

A 13-day layoff from competition appeared not to matter. Crew SC netted a first-half goal from Ola Kamara and 19 players touched the field in a 1-0 Crew win in front of 11,301 on Monday night at Mapfre Stadium.

“We worked hard on some elements the last seven (practices) and they were able to see them on the field today, so I think that’s really a positive,” Berhalter said.

Crew SC didn’t need much buildup to send home the game’s only goal. In the 26th minute, midfielder Wil Trapp threaded a long pass to Cristian Martinez. The 20-year-old Panamanian midfielder sprinted behind Eintracht Frankfurt defender David Abraham and passed across the box to Kamara, who finished for a 1-0 lead.

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The assist was a welcome one for Martinez, who has not appeared in any of the team's 20 MLS games this season. Berhalter called it “a shame” Martinez hasn’t played this season, but he said it has been a challenge to find the young midfielder minutes with a talented group ahead of him.

“Gregg just talked to me in the past, and he’s just told me to have patience, that my time’s going to come,” Martinez said through a team interpreter. “My time did come and I was able to make the most of it, so hopefully that’ll happen again in the future.”

Goalkeeper Brad Stuver needed to make just one save in the first half as a three-man back line helped limit Eintracht Frankfurt’s chances. Crew SC, meanwhile, had an efficient first half on offense, placing all three of its shots on target.

Much of the group that built the lead wasn’t on the field to try to preserve it in the second half. Berhalter began the second half with only four players — Stuver, defender Alex Crognale, midfielder Mohammed Abu and Martinez — remaining from the starting lineup. Rookie Abuchi Obinwa, a Westerville native, subbed on for Abu in the 67th minute to make his Crew SC debut.

Eintracht Frankfurt’s best opportunity to equalize came in the 63rd minute, when a Danny da Costa cross traveled across the face of goal, but forward Sebastian Haller just mistimed a slide to redirect the ball. Stuver denied Max Besuschkow with a strong save in the 83rd minute.

Justin Meram, who is nearing full strength but has spent the past couple of weeks recovering from a left ankle injury, was not in the lineup. Also absent were winger Niko Hansen as he continues to recover from hernia surgery and right back Harrison Afful, who was held out as a precaution after experiencing a hamstring cramp late in Sunday’s practice.

Crew SC resumes league play Saturday at Mapfre Stadium against the Philadelphia Union.

“This game has physically prepared us to take Philly on,” Berhalter said. “We’ll have enough rest and we’ll be ready to go.”

aerickson@dispatch.com

@AEricksonCD