Apparently Federico Higuain isn’t leaving Columbus Crew SC at the conclusion of this season after all.
The club announced Tuesday that it signed the Argentine attacking midfielder to an extension to his existing designated player contract. The deal will keep Higuain in Columbus through the 2018 Major League season.
“We are pleased to announce that Federico Higuain will be in Black & Gold as a designated player for the 2018 season,” sporting director and head coach Gregg Berhalter said in a team release. “Federico has been instrumental in establishing our style of play over the last four years and played a significant role in helping the club secure playoff berths in three of those four seasons. Federico’s professionalism, character and humility off the field coupled with his undeniable, difference-maker ability on the field, make him one of the greatest players ever to wear a Columbus Crew SC jersey.”
Federico Higuain Signs Designated Player Extension With Columbus Crew SC
This comes after serious questions emerged regarding Higuain’s future with Crew SC. The initial impetus for those concerns became apparent after he told Andrew Erickson of the Columbus Dispatch on August 3rd that 2017 would be his last with the Black and Gold.
At the time, Higuain was recovering from a knee injury that eventually caused him to miss seven games during the summer. That combined with frustration over his role in manager Gregg Berhalter’s tactical changes at times may have led to his comments.
But since returning to 100 percent, the South American maestro has reasserted himself as one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers. His resurgence has been a key factor in Crew SC’s current eight-game unbeaten run which resulted in the club clinching a playoff berth Saturday.
Higuain currently has a career high 11 assists on the year. Six of them have come in the team’s previous five games. Included a hat trick of helpers in Crew SC’s 3-2 win over the New York Red Bulls that put them on the cusp of returning to the playoffs after last year’s disappointing campaign.
“It’s a very important day, it’s a big day for me,” Higuain said on Tuesday. “It’s not easy to be away from my country, but here in Columbus my family and I have found a place to live and to, as I said in the beginning, be happy.”
Crew SC is idle this week due to the international window. But the club returns to action a week from Sunday when they travel south to take on Orlando City SC. It’s the third and final meeting of the year between the two teams and second in central Florida. Kickoff from Orlando City Stadium takes place at 5 PM ET.
Photo credit: Columbus Crew SC Communications
