Federico Higuain began the Crew SC season with abdominal pain and said he played through it to the point where, "I run like crap." The 31-year-old playmaker returned to the lineup Saturday night, late in the Crew's 2-2 draw against Orlando FC, and thinks the playoffs are still a possibility despite a seven-point deficit to overcome in the final 14 games.

Federico Higuain began the Crew SC season with abdominal pain and said he played through it to the point where, �I run like crap.�



The 31-year-old playmaker returned to the lineup Saturday night, late in the Crew's 2-2 draw against Orlando FC, and thinks the playoffs are still a possibility despite a seven-point deficit to overcome in the final 14 games.



�I believe there�s a lot of games left,� the Argentine told The Dispatch without aid of a translator. (Fourteen games), that�s a big number. We are going to try our best. We know we must improve our soccer. Simple as that. I don�t know other ways to win games other than work hard.



�We still believe we can do it (making the playoffs). It�s gonna be hard, it�s gonna be really hard.�



The return of Higuain, who looked sharp in 20-plus minutes off the bench, might be the only reason to think a club riding an eight-game winless streak (0-3-5) still has a remote shot at leapfrogging three Eastern Conference rivals in the standings. The Crew heads to Toronto on Sunday, where Higuain figures to return to the starting lineup for the first time since June 1.



He began experiencing pain in the preseason, but coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter said the hernia was not apparent until prior to the June 1 game against the Philadelphia Union. Discomfort in the abdominal region is not uncommon in the preseason for soccer players, Berhalter added, and the team would have decided on surgery right then if a hernia had been diagnosed.



Midfielder Justin Meram had hernia surgery in the preseason.



Higuain contributed three goals and three assists in the first 13 games before going under the knife. The club was 0-1-5 in his absence.



�I think that�s the positive you take out of this (only one loss) and now you get a game-winner back and he�s a guy that you see can change the game,� Berhalter said. �We know he has the quality, and you saw it in the brief moment he came in.�



Higuain registered three shots and created several opportunities for teammates after Orlando rallied from a 2-0 deficit.



�He�s that special player who can open up defenses,� former Crew forward Brian McBride said Tuesday by phone. �He draws defenders to him and allows players like Meram to get on the ball with a little more space. When you have a player who can draw players to him because he�s so technically gifted it�s going to help everyone.



�I don�t think the (seven-point) deficit is too much. That�s the nice thing about the MLS. If you get hot at the right time, you can still get in. The good thing for them is there are pieces there. Ola Kamara has 10 goals in 14 games ... and when you have Higuain coming back that�s going to help.�



It�s been a challenging season for the veteran playmaker, criticized by Kei Kamara before being traded to New England. A source told The Dispatch earlier in the season the club was shopping both Higuain and Kei Kamara at one point.



A five-year MLS veteran, Higuain spoke of the physical discomfort he experienced before undergoing surgery.



�I couldn�t play, I couldn�t run -- nothing,� he said. �No run, no kick, nothing. I run like crap. More than usually.�



The club hopes Higuain can recapture the chemistry he was forming with Ola Kamara prior to being sidelined.



The team and coaching staff is coming under increased scrutiny as the Crew�s slump deepens. It recorded three straight draws on its recent homestand, squandering leads in every match.



Higuain remains confident in Berhalter�s plan and system.



�He�s the guy who changed this team, a lot,� Higuain said. �He made it much better. There is a time we have to believe in what soccer we play.



�I think we�re a good team. We need points. We know that. I expect the next couple games (we) win and get points.�

treed@dispatch.com

@treed1919

Next game

Crew at Toronto FC

When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday

TV: Channel 53, TWC SportsChannel

Radio: WWCD-FM (102.5), WVKO-FM (103.1, in Spanish)



