Justin Meram found inspiration for Saturday night's performance in a most unusual place-the bottom of an old toiletry bag.

The Crew SC winger decided to take a different travel kit with him to Mapfre Stadium for the match against the San Jose Earthquakes. What Meram discovered inside unleashed memories that triggered many emotions.

Justin Meram found inspiration for Saturday night�s performance in a most unusual place�the bottom of an old toiletry bag.

The Crew SC winger decided to take a different travel kit with him to Mapfre Stadium for the match against the San Jose Earthquakes. What Meram discovered inside unleashed memories that triggered many emotions. It was a black �KU� armband players had worn to honor their late teammate Kirk Urso, who died four years ago of cardiac arrest at age 22.

Meram carefully removed it from the bag and thought about the rookie who won over veterans with his �goofiness and charm.�

�I had it on around the house a little bit today,� Meram said after scoring a goal and setting up another in a 2-0 win that kept alive the club�s faint playoff hopes.

Meram saw the discovery as a good omen for the pivotal game. He tweeted out a picture of it and wrote, �Always thinking about u bud.�

Found this today in my old toiletry bag. @kurso369 @urso_sa bringing us luck tonight. Always thinking about u bud pic.twitter.com/gXLyq2Da2o

� Justin Meram (@JustinMeram) August 27, 2016

On a night the Crew sat leading scorer Ola Kamara and rested Federico Higuain due to inflammation in his abdominal reason, Meram delivered in a match his club could not afford to lose. He sent a lovely cross to Ethan Finlay for the game�s first goal in the 32 nd minute. He capped the victory by converting a penalty kick in the 84 th minute, enabling an announced crowd of 20,031 to exhale after so many late-game disappointments in Mapfre.

The Crew won at home for the first time since May 28. It had gone 0-1-6 in that stretch to tumble down the standings.

Meram is a team leader and a spiritual person. He felt surrounded Urso�s presence in the venue.

�He was with us today, I firmly believe that,� Meram said.

Urso has been in the thoughts of Crew players for weeks. The fourth anniversary of his passing was observed Aug. 5. Urso had collapsed at a local bar. An autopsy revealed he had suffered from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, a rare genetic heart condition.

The team and Crew community were gutted by his loss. The club established a Kirk Urso Memorial Fund.

�He was that rookie with the goofiness and charm,� Meram recalled. �It was incredible he won a starting spot as a rookie. He came in taking all of our free kicks. He was like our (Designated Player). He was just an incredible guy.�

The Urso family remains close to the team and attends several Crew games a season. It witnessed the side break its 10-game winless streak on Aug. 20 in New England.

�I love them,� Meram said. �We want them to know better days are coming and that he�ll always be part of this club.�

The play of Meram and Finlay has sparked the Crew in recent weeks, allowing it to earn seven points in the past four games. Meram has two goals and two assists in that span.

The sixth-year veteran plans to keep better track of Urso�s armband. It might even make its way back onto Mapfre Stadium pitch.

�Maybe one game I will wear it under my jersey,� he said. �We�ll see.�

treed@dispatch.com

@treed1919