When Orlando City hired Jason Kreis as its new head coach midway through last season, Cristian Higuita saw a potential problem.

“I actually went over tapes of his past teams and I noticed that he liked to play with the diamond,” Higuita said through a translator. “So, I knew he was going to ask for that eventually.”

The problem? That formation, a 4-4-2 with a diamond-shaped midfield, allows for one true defensive midfielder. Higuita played as a defensive midfielder for Orlando City in a 4-2-3-1 formation the last two seasons, paired with Darwin Cerén, now with San Jose; Servando Carrasco; or Antonio Nocerino.

If Kreis changed to that formation, he could lose his spot in the lineup. So, he decided to be proactive.

“I know we have players like Servando and Nocerino who play more as a No. 6, a little more defensive, and I knew I was capable of going forward and also defending,” Higuita said. “So, I knew it was a possibility for me and I was preparing myself to be able to take that role.”

That required increased fitness from the 23-year-old Colombian, different movement and positioning and more involvement in the attack.

Higuita was one of many Orlando City players to suffer a setback during preseason, straining his adductor during training on Valentine’s Day. His recovery timeline was at least a month, but Higuita came on in the final minutes of Orlando City’s season opener against New York City FC on March 5. He then subbed on for 19 minutes in the next match and 28 minutes in the third game in Columbus, replacing Servando Carrasco in both.

Then, the Lions were playing in a traditional 4-4-2, with essentially two central midfielders, one holding and another who played box-to-box.

Higuita’s first start of 2017 came when the team hosted the New York Red Bulls April 9, the day Orlando City also debuted the diamond. The performance was far from perfect, but Orlando City pulled out a 1-0 victory and Higuita cemented his place on the left side of the midfield.

“Cristian is a player that needs to be on the ball,” Kreis explained when asked what Higuita provided that allowed the team to switch to that formation once he was fully healthy. “He’s the type of midfielder who is desperate to have the ball in his team and so he gives you that real work rate to try to win it back. And then when we’re on it, he’s a player who wants to combine with players around him.

“So, he’s a player that I think this system is geared for and really kind of forced himself in the lineup through his performances in the training sessions in the weeks leading up to his first start this year.”

He’s started every game since, and has continued to prove himself as a gritty, tough defender – he wanted to continue playing after dislocating his shoulder in New York City last month – while creating goal-scoring opportunities as well.

Last week, in arguably the team’s best performance to date, Higuita’s contribution became tangible when he passed the ball through two defenders to Carlos Rivas, who netted what Rapids coach Pablo Mastroeni called a “world-class goal” to spark a 2-0 Lions victory.

There still are improvements to be made all around, but Higuita said he’s happy his foresight paid off and he feels comfortable in his new role despite the tactical differences needed to succeed.

“Most of all it’s the movement,” Higuita said. “I need to go more to the sides, so that’s the main difference and I need to be 100 percent physically to be able to last 90 minutes.

“Obviously, I like playing better as a No. 8, but I’m happy that I’m playing that new position and I’m performing well.”

ardelgallo@orlandosentinel.com