Editor’s note: On Saturday, the Crew will honor Federico Higuaín. The former midfielder, affectionately known as Pipa, is signing a one-day contract to officially retire as a member of the Black & Gold. To honor the midfielder, Massive Report will spend this week sharing moments of Higuaín’s career with the Crew.
At the end of the 2017 season, the Columbus Crew was back in the driver’s seat in the Eastern Conference. After a tumultuous 2016 season where the Black & Gold ended the year in the basement of Major League Soccer, the last home match of 2017 saw the Crew playing for a spot in the MLS Cup playoffs.