When Federico Higuain isn’t on the field, Columbus Crew SC is a different team.
This is true both literally and figuratively, given Gregg Berhalter’s change in tactics in last week’s 1-0 defeat to the Chicago Fire where Higuain missed out.
“When Federico’s not in the team, you can see,” central defender Nicolai Naess said this week. “He’s an important player for us.”
Although the Crew SC head coach did not confirm that the absence of his creative playmaker led to a change in formation, it’s hard to imagine a shift like that one if Higuain, who was held out with a minor ankle injury, were available.