Federico Higuaín

Federico Fernando Higuaín (Spanish: [feðeˈɾiko iɣwaˈin]; born 25 October 1984) is an Argentine footballer who plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer as a forward or as an attacking midfielder.

Federico Higuaín
Higuaín with Columbus in 2017
Personal information
Full name Federico Fernando Higuaín
Date of birth (1984-10-25) 25 October 1984
Place of birth Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position(s) Forward / Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
 D.C. United
Number 2
Youth career
River Plate
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2007 River Plate 5 (0)
2005–2007 → Nueva Chicago (loan) 71 (26)
2007–2008 Beşiktaş 9 (0)
2008 → América (loan) 13 (1)
2008–2009 Independiente 18 (1)
2009–2010 Godoy Cruz 36 (11)
2010–2012 Colón 62 (10)
2012–2019 Columbus Crew SC 193 (55)
2020– D.C. United 3 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 25 May 2019

He played 157 games and scored 35 goals in the Argentine Primera División for River Plate, Nueva Chicago, Independiente, Godoy Cruz and Colón between 2003 and 2012. He also had brief spells in Turkey with Beşiktaş J.K. and Mexico with Club América in 2007–08.

In 2012, he signed for Columbus Crew SC for a club record US$650,000, and won the MLS Newcomer of the Year Award in his first season. He made nearly 200 appearances and scored over 50 goals for the club, helping them to the Eastern Conference title in 2015.

After leaving the Columbus Crew, he joined fellow MLS club, D.C. United in 2020.

Early life

Higuaín was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the son of the Argentine former footballer Jorge Higuaín. Higuaín has three brothers, Nicolas, Lautaro and Gonzalo Higuaín, the latter of whom plays for the Italian club Juventus F.C., and the Argentina national football team.[1][2][3]

Club career

Early career

Higuaín signed with River Plate as a youngster, playing 5 games and registering no goals. He soon went on loan to Nueva Chicago in the Argentine second division, where he played 77 total games, scoring 29 goals. He also impressed during stints at Godoy Cruz and Colón de Santa Fe.[4]

In August 2007, Higuaín signed a three-year contract at Beşiktaş J.K. of the Turkish Süper Lig, for a US$1.65 million fee.[5] He did not settle in Istanbul, and the following February he was loaned to Mexico's Club América.[6]

Columbus Crew SC

Higuaín signed for the Columbus Crew as the team's third ever designated player on 27 July 2012,[7] for a then club record fee of $650,000 USD.[8] He made his debut on 19 August as a substitute against the Houston Dynamo and assisted on the go-ahead goal by Eddie Gaven with a ball over the top 13 minutes later.[9] Three days later he got his first MLS start against Toronto FC, and in the fourth minute again set up a Gaven opener, then scored the winning goal himself.[10] In the next game on 26 August, he scored two goals from free kicks in an eventual 4–3 victory over the New England Revolution.[11] For his performances over his first several matches, Higuaín was named the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for weeks 25 and 26, of the 2012 Major League Soccer season by North American soccer journalists.[12] He finished the season by scoring both goals of a 2–1 victory against Toronto FC on the final matchday.[13]

To begin the 2013 season, Higuaín scored in a 3–0 opening-day victory over Chivas USA on 2 March.[14] On 10 August, he scored in a 2–0 victory over New York Red Bulls with a chip from well outside the penalty area that was voted Goal of the Week, and in the next match, a 2–0 win over Toronto FC, he chipped the goalkeeper from 22 yards (20 m).[15][16]

Following the 2014 Major League Soccer season in which Higuaín tallied a team-leading eleven goals and seven assists, he was signed to a new contract, the most lucrative deal ever given by the Crew. It was reportedly a two-year contract although terms of the deal were officially undisclosed. At the time of signing his new contract, Higuaín had been ranked fifth in the league in goals, first in penalty kick goals, and one of only eight players to score double-digit goals in the previous two seasons since entering the league.[17]

In 2015, Higuaín scored eight goals and provided nine assists during the MLS regular season, while in the playoffs, he won the Eastern Conference Championship with Crew,[18][19] only to miss out on the MLS Cup Final to Portland, following a 2–1 home defeat.[20] The following season, Higuaín had a disappointing season, scoring only four goals and adding three assists in just 20 appearances, as Crew missed out on the playoffs. While many pundits expected him to leave the next season, as his contract was expiring, he signed a one-year extension, and in 2017, he helped Crew to qualify for the playoffs and reach the Eastern Conference finals.[20]

On 25 May 2019, in a game against the Colorado Rapids, Higuaín was injured, and subsequently received anterior cruciate ligament surgery, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.[21] On 21 October 2019, Columbus Crew's president and general manager, Tim Bezbatchenko, announced that the club decided not to extend his contract for the next season.[22]

D.C. United

On 2 March 2020, Higuaín joined D.C. United as a player and Player Development Coach.[23] On 13 July 2020, he made his first appearance in an "MLS is Back" tournament match against Toronto FC. With D.C. United losing 2-0 and at a man disadvantage due to a first-half ejection, Higuain came on as a substitute in the 80th minute and scored on a breakaway in the 84th minute. D.C. United added a second goal in injury time to force a 2-2 draw.[24]

Style of play

Nicknamed Pipa, Higuaín is a diminutive playmaker with a slender physique. While not being a prolific goalscorer, his technique, vision, intelligence, creativity on the ball, ability to provide assists for his teammates, and eye for goal from midfield make him capable of playing both as a forward and as an attacking midfielder, and he has also often functioned as a second striker, or as a winger. Buenos Aires-based journalist Daniel Colasimone has stated that "[h]is role is more to harass opposition defenses with intelligent runs, fine ball control and incisive passing. His hard work on and off the ball, and affable personality made him well liked wherever he played in Argentina." His coach at Columbus, Gregg Berhalter, said of him in 2015: "He’s the guy who ties everything together. He ties the defense to the offense on both sides of the ball. He's been fantastic this year, and his contribution is underrated in my eyes because he's been performing at a really, really high level."[4][18][19][20][25][26]

Personal life

Higuaín holds a U.S. green card which qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.[27]

Career statistics
As of 25 May 2019[28][29][30]
Club Season League Cup[lower-alpha 1] Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
River Plate 2003–04 Primera División 30–1[lower-alpha 2]0–40
2004–05 Primera División 20–00–20
2005–06 Primera División 00–––00
2006–07 Primera División 00–––00
Total 5000100060
Nueva Chicago (loan) 2005–06 Primera B Nacional 3613––4[lower-alpha 3]24015
2006–07 Primera División 3513––2[lower-alpha 4]13714
Total 71260000637729
Beşiktaş 2007–08 Süper Lig 90225[lower-alpha 5]000162
América (loan) 2008 Primera División de México 131–9[lower-alpha 2]1–222
Independiente 2008–09 Primera División 181–1[lower-alpha 6]0–191
Godoy Cruz 2009–10 Primera División 3611–––3611
Colón 2010–11 Primera División 273–––273
2011–12 Primera División 35700––357
Total 62100000006210
Columbus Crew SC 2012 MLS 13500––135
2013 291120––3111
2014 291100–1[lower-alpha 7]13012
2015 32800–5[lower-alpha 7]1379
2016 20400––204
2017 26910–5[lower-alpha 7]0329
2018 30600–3[lower-alpha 7]2338
2019 14100––141
Total 19355300014421059
Career total 40710452161207448114
  1. Appearances in the Turkish Cup and U.S. Open Cup
  2. Appearances in the Copa Libertadores
  3. Appearances in the Primera B Nacional Promotion Playoff
  4. Appearances in the Primera División Relegation Playoff
  5. Appearances in the UEFA Champions League
  6. Appearance in the Copa Sudamericana
  7. Appearances in the MLS Cup Playoffs

Honours

Individual
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References
  1. "Higuain: I'm not jealous of Gonzalo". FIFA.com. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  2. Federico ganó el duelo de los hermanos Higuaín. Old.clarin.com. Retrieved on 17 April 2014.
  3. Milan, AC. "Mercato Milan 2018: ultime calciomercato Gonzalo Higuain e Mattia Caldara | AC Milan". AC Milan. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  4. Eric Beard (14 September 2012). "Higuaín Finds Comfort in Columbus". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  5. "Federico Higuaín será compañero de Rodrigo Tello en el Besiktas" [Federico Higuaín will be Rodrigo Tello's teammate at Beşiktaş] (in Spanish). Emol. 21 August 2007. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  6. "Beşiktaş bring in Schildenfeld". UEFA. 1 February 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  7. "Crew signs Argentine striker Federico Higuain as third Designated Player in Club history". Columbus Crew. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  8. "Columbus Paid Considerable Fee for Higuain". Crewture. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  9. Merz, Craig. "Higuain leaves strong impressions after debut assist". MLS Soccer. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  10. "Crew vs. Toronto FC - August 22, 2012". Columbus Crew. Archived from the original on 23 August 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  11. Merz, Craig. "Warzycha on Higuain: "It's amazing to have talent like this"". MLS Soccer. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  12. Borg, Simon. "Crew DP Higuain captures MLS Player of the Week award". MLS soccer. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  13. Merz, Craig. "Crew's Higuain offers tasty teaser in season finale". MLS Soccer. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  14. "MLS Match Recap: Chivas USA 0, Columbus Crew 3". Major League Soccer. 2 March 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  15. King, Andrew (15 August 2013). "Columbus Crew's Federico Higuain says chip vs. New York one of his best all-time goals". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  16. Sharrett, Cody (20 August 2013). "POLL: Which Higuaín chip was better?". theCrew.com. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  17. Jardy, Adam. "Soccer: Higuain's new deal is Crew's richest ever". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  18. King, Andrew (3 December 2015). "2015 MLS Cup: Overshadowed by teammates, Federico Higuain still the player that ties Columbus Crew SC together". MLS Soccer. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  19. "2015 MLS Cup: Head-to-head position breakdown of Columbus Crew SC vs. Portland Timbers". MLS Soccer. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  20. Davis, Jason (27 November 2017). "MLS Cup win would put Higuain firmly alongside Schelotto in Crew lore". ESPN FC. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  21. "Crew's Higuain out for season after knee surgery". ESPN.com. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  22. Murphy, Patrick. "Federico Higuain's playing days are over in Columbus, but Crew leave door open for future return". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  23. "D.C. United Acquire MLS Veteran Playmaker Federico Higuaín". 2 March 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  24. https://www.espn.com/soccer/report?gameId=573277
  25. "Higuain Federico, il fratello di un Dio minore. Ma ora c'è aria di rivincita" (in Italian). La Repubblica. 5 December 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  26. Ryan Rosenblatt (28 July 2012). "Columbus Crew Sign Federico Higuain As Designated Player". SB Nation. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  27. Jardy, Adam (5 February 2015). "Crew: Recovered from injury, Higuain ready to roll". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  28. "Federico Higuaín at WorldFootball.net". WorldFootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL Medien GmbH & Co. KG. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  29. Federico Higuaín at Soccerway
  30. Federico Higuaín at Major League Soccer
  31. Rosano, Nicholas. "Crew's Higuain lands MLS Newcomer of the Year award". MLS Soccer. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  32. Boehm, Charles. "Higuain earns 2nd straight MLS Player of the Week nod". MLS Soccer. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Chad Marshall		 Columbus Crew captain
2013		 Succeeded by
Michael Parkhurst
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