Federico Higuaín

Federico Fernando Higuaín (; born 25 October 1984) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a forward and attacking midfielder. He is currently the head coach for MLS Next Pro club Columbus Crew 2.

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 the Columbus Crew for a then club-record fee of US$650,000, and won the MLS Newcomer of the Year Award in his first season. An icon of the club, He made over 200 appearances across all competitions, scoring over 50 goals. He is also the club's leader in regular season assists (63), penalty-kick goals (20), and game winning assists (20).

Early life

Higuaín was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the son of the Argentine former footballer Jorge Higuaín. Higuaín has three brothers, including Gonzalo, who is a former footballer. He is of Basque descent through his father.

Club career

Early career

Nicknamed ''Pipa'', 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.

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. He did not settle in Istanbul, with the player calling the move "a mistake." The following February he was loaned to Mexico's Club América for the remainder of the year, where he scored one goal in the league, and one goal in the Copa Libertadores.

Columbus Crew

2012 season

On 27 July 2012, Higuaín joined the Columbus Crew as the team's third-ever designated player, for a then club-record fee of US$650,000. His debut came on 19 August as a substitute against the Houston Dynamo, where he assisted Eddie Gaven's go-ahead goal with a well-placed ball over the top just 13 minutes later. Three days later, he earned his first MLS start against Toronto FC and, in the fourth minute, once again set up a Gaven opener before notching the winning goal himself. The following match saw him score two goals from free kicks in a 4–3 victory over the New England Revolution. For his performances over his first several matches, Higuaín was named MLS Player of the Week for weeks 25 and 26 of the 2012 Major League Soccer season. The season came to an end with him netting both goals in a 2–1 victory against Toronto FC on the final matchday. During his first half-season in Columbus, the Argentine scored 5 and assisted 6 across his thirteen appearances.

2013 season

In the beginning of the 2013 season, Higuaín was named captain and scored in a 3–0 opening-day victory over Chivas USA on 2 March. He scored in back-to-back league games with both goals coming via penalty kick, a 2–2 draw against New York Red Bulls and a 1–1 draw against the Houston Dynamo. On 10 August, he scored both goals in a 2–0 victory over New York Red Bulls, including a chip from well outside the penalty area that was voted Goal of the Week. The following match he again scored both goals in a 2–0 win over Toronto FC, chipping the goalkeeper from 22 yards away. After being sent off for a second yellow in a match against Real Salt Lake, Higuaín returned to the lineup on 14 September, assisting on both of the Crew's goals in a 2–1 win against the Montreal Impact.

2014 season

To start off the 2014 season, Higuaín changed his number from 33 to 10, and once again scored on the first game of the season, this time bagging two goals in a 3–0 win against D.C. United. He scored two goals and added one assist in the match at Portland on 17 May, converting a penalty kick goal and a chipped goal before adding an assist en route to MLS Player of the Week Honors for Week 11. 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 at the time. 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.

2015 season

His first goal and assist during the 2015 season came in the same match, a 3–0 victory hosting Orlando City on 18 April. He scored the first goal of the game via the penalty spot in a 3–1 victory over the Chicago Fire on 19 July, On 19 September, Higuaín made his 100th appearance for the Crew in a 2–1 win at D.C. United. On the penultimate game of the regular season, Higuaín scored in a Columbus win, but was suspended for the final game of the regular season for yellow card accumulation. During the playoffs, he scored away in an eventual 4–3 aggregate win against the Montreal Impact in the quarter-finals, and assisted in the only goal scored by Columbus in the 2–1 MLS Cup Final defeat to the Portland Timbers at home.

2016 season

A "tumultuous" 2016 season began on a high note as Higuaín scored a bicycle kick goal on matchday one in a 2–1 defeat at Portland. During the 5 May clash versus the Montreal Impact, he and teammate Kei Kamara got into a verbal argument about who should take a penalty kick. A kick, in which, if converted, would have given Kamara his first career hat-trick. Higuaín refused, and instead took it himself. The kick was made, giving Columbus a 4–1 lead. The lead was ultimately relinquished, with the game ending in a 4–4 tie. Kamara publicly criticized Higuaín, and was subsequently traded "for the culture of the club." Higuaín missed six games in the middle of the season after undergoing hernia surgery. Two months later, he missed a further seven games recovering from complications from surgery. He returned on the final game of the season, a 4–1 loss to New York City FC. He ended the season scoring four goals and adding three assists in 20 appearances, as the Crew missed out on the playoffs.

2017 season

Higuaín's first goal of the new campaign came on 18 March against D.C. United, a 2–0 victory. He went on to score in three consecutive matches, and later began another scoring streak, finding the net in four straight league games. He appeared in the first ever Hell is Real derby versus FC Cincinnati on 14 June in a U.S. Open Cup game, a game which ultimately ended in defeat for Columbus. On 23 September 2017, Higuaín recorded three assists in a game versus New York Red Bulls. After publicly insinuating mid-season that the 2017 season would be his last with the Crew, he signed a one-year extension on 3 October. He helped the Crew to qualify for the playoffs and reach the Eastern Conference finals.

2018 season

He scored the game-winning goal during the first match of the 2018 season on the road against Toronto FC in his 150th league appearance for the club. Higuaín scored his second goal of the season and 50th with the club in the following match against the Montreal Impact. Two matches later, he notched his 50th Crew assist via a to put him in the MLS 50/50 club. On 26 April, he signed a contract extension through the 2019 season. On 2 June, he scored and assisted in the 3–3 tie at home to Toronto after being down 3-0 at halftime. He was involved in both goals in the 2–1 victory against the Colorado Rapids on 22 September, scoring once and notching an assist. During the first round of the 2018 MLS Cup playoffs, Higuaín played the entire match, scoring both of the Crew's goals, and scored the opening spot kick in the penalty shootout to send Columbus to the following round three days later, where he came off the bench and assisted the lone goal in the win at home versus the New York Red Bulls. Columbus would ultimately lose the aggregate series 3–1.

2019 season

On 2 March, in the opening match of the new season, Higuaín assisted a Gastón Sauro header from a corner. On 25 May, 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. On 21 October, Columbus Crew announced that they decided not to extend his contract for the next season as a player, instead offering a "non-playing job". Higuaín declined the offer, as he was not ready to retire. With Columbus, Higuaín scored 59 goals in 210 appearances in all competitions, and left the club as the all time regular season assist leader with 63.

D.C. United

On 2 March 2020, Higuaín joined D.C. United as a player and Player Development Coach. 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, Higuaín 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.

Inter Miami CF

On 10 October 2020, D.C. United traded Higuaín to Inter Miami in exchange for $50,000 in General Allocation Money, where Higuaín joined his brother Gonzalo. Higuaín re-signed with Miami on 28 January 2021 for the 2021 season. Following the 2021 season, Higuaín announced his retirement from playing professional football.

Style of play

A diminutive playmaker with a slender physique, Higuaín was known for his technique, vision, intelligence and "instinctual creativity" on the ball, and his ability to provide assists for his teammates made him capable of playing as a second striker or as an attacking midfielder. Buenos Aires-based journalist Daniel Colasimone has stated that " s 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 2018: “The game is about entertainment, and it’s nice to see a guy that the fans can come watch and he can do things they can appreciate .. but aside from that, you take his work rate and his defensive pressing and those type of elements and he’s a handful." Despite not being a prolific goal scorer, he held an eye for goal from midfield, often succeeding on chipped shots from distance. He was also known to show frequent dissent toward referees, which at times led to a steady accumulation of yellow cards.

Coaching

Higuaín began his coaching career in 2020 when he signed with D.C. United as a player and player development coach. On 4 February 2022, he was named as part of the coaching staff for Inter Miami II ahead of the inaugural MLS Next Pro season. In January 2025, Higuaín accepted the head coach role with Columbus Crew 2.

Personal life

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

Career statistics

Honours

River Plate
* Argentine Primera División: Clausura 2004

América
* InterLiga: 2008

Individual
* MLS 50/50 Club
* MLS Newcomer of the Year: 2012
* MLS Player of the Week 2012: Week 25, 26
* AT&T Goal of the Week 2013: Week 24
* MLS Player of the Week 2014: Week 11

References

External links

*
*
* at Fútbol XXI

{{DEFAULTSORT:Higuain, Federico
1984 births
Living people
Argentine people of Basque descent
Footballers from Buenos Aires
Argentine men's footballers
Men's association football forwards
Club Atlético River Plate footballers
Club Atlético Nueva Chicago footballers
Beşiktaş J.K. footballers
Club América footballers
Club Atlético Independiente footballers
Club Atlético Colón footballers
Columbus Crew players
Liga MX players
Süper Lig players
Argentine Primera División players
Major League Soccer players
Designated Players (MLS)
Argentine expatriate men's footballers
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Mexico
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico
Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey
Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
D.C. United players
Inter Miami CF players
D.C. United non-playing staff
Inter Miami CF non-playing staff
Inter Miami CF II
21st-century Argentine sportsmen
Columbus Crew non-playing staff