Two months after he openly said 2017 would likely be his last season in Columbus, Crew SC’s Federico Higuain has reversed course, and is ready to give it another go in Ohio.
The Argentine playmaker has been the most visible and productive figure for Columbus in his seven years in MLS, and fans repaid his accomplishments with a full tifo treatment at Saturday’s win over D.C. United in Columbus.
But the de facto farewell ultimately wasn’t necessary, as the club announced Tuesday that they had re-signed Higuain to a Designated Player deal for one more season.
At Crew SC training Tuesday, Higuain didn’t go into why he changed his mind, but reiterated a frequent refrain: For him and his family, Columbus is a second home.
“It’s a big day for me,” he said. “It’s not easy to be away from my country, but here in Columbus, my family have found a place to live and to be happy.”
In his time in Columbus, Higuain has worked his way into the club’s top ten in games played, games started and minutes played, among other categories, and has the third-most goals and second-most assists in club history.
Head coach Gregg Berhalter, who always maintained there was a chance to bring Higuaín back, told The Columbus Dispatch that the playmaker was already a club legend.
“I’m going to go on record saying he’s one of the greatest players ever to play for the Crew,” Berhalter said. “It’s a short list of guys that he’s up there with, so it’s great to have him back.”
And while Higuain acknowledged those numbers, they’re not his priority.
“Numbers are important, but I believe that they have always trusted in the way that I play,” he said. “That, for me, is the most important thing.”
Higuain said he felt “a big emotion” when he saw fans unveil his tifo Saturday, and thanked supporters “in the name of my family and I.” But the display didn’t single-handedly convince him to return. He’s felt that support for years.
“I’ve felt, from day one, a warm relationship between the supporters and I,” he said. “I think it’s reciprocal. I really like to play for this club, with this coach, with my teammates. I really enjoy it here and I try to do my best every time, every day, to be great on the pitch in front of my supporters.”
With Higuain around for at least one more run, the current Columbus Crew SC era will continue for another year, and Berhalter emphasized once again how important the Argentine has been during his time with the club.
“Federico is one of those guys that helped us define who we are,” Berhalter said. “He helped us define our playing style. You can see, when he’s at the top of his game and he has a high usage rate, he’s able to bring everyone into the game and certainly make his teammates better.”
