Crew SC might be sending a representative to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, but just three weeks before the tournament’s opening game, the club and player are still unsure of whether it will happen.



Teams from the United States and Ghana seemed to present the best opportunities for Crew players to attend the tournament. But neither well-recognized national team qualified for the World Cup this year, meaning stars Wil Trapp, Gyasi Zardes, Zack Steffen, Jonathan Mensah and Harrison Afful won’t get the chance to play in Russia.



Instead, it was 21-year-old winger Cristian Martinez, who was named to Panama’s preliminary World Cup squad last week.



But Martinez didn’t get a call from the Panama manager, a personalized social media message or even an email. Instead, like the rest of the world, he found out on social media when the team’s website quietly published the preliminary roster. He said he was surprised to see his name...