Orlando City’s
Scrappy Higuita sees self in his daughter
Cristian Higuita plays with his heart on his sleeve, and now he sees a lot of himself in his 2-year-old daughter.
Cristian Higuita is known for his passionate play in Orlando City’s midfield — and leading the team in yellow cards each year.
The versatile Colombian is just 23 years old, but he’s been a key figure for the Lions since they joined Major League Soccer in 2015. In past years, he’s played as a holding midfielder. This season, under coach Jason Kreis, he’s played that position as well, but he also frequently holds down the left side of a diamond-shaped midfield, which requires a more athletic and dynamic performance.
In between daily training sessions, multiple matches a week and traveling across the country with his teammates, Higuita also raises a 2-year-old daughter, Martina, with his wife, Natalia Andrea Campo.
“Seeing my daughter is like seeing myself,” Higuita said after a training session Friday. “The way she behaves, her en-
ergy, her temper, everything is exactly like me.”
Off the field, Higuita is more demure than his onfield personality, respectful with a contagious smile.
As for Martina, she takes after both his on- and offfield character. She also resembles him, with dimpled cheeks and almondshaped eyes.
“You know that I’m very passionate and have a strong will,” he said, laughing. “I give it all. She’s exactly the same way. When she plays, she’s always very intense. If something doesn’t go her way she gets [mad] just like I do. It’s very similar.”
Intense session
The Lions’ training session Friday was more visibly intense than normal.
The exercises being carried out were the same, but during a scrimmage at the end of the session, players’
tempers flared and voices raised.
At one point, defender José Aja ran through one of his teammates to win the ball. When the coach’s whistle blew to signal a foul, Aja turned with an astounded look and threw his arms up.
“You want to quit?” Kreis asked as Aja continued to argue the call. To that question, he walked back into position while making a gesture as if to say his jersey had been pulled.
Moments later, Higuita beat right back Rafael Ramos and fired a shot past goalkeeper Joe Bendik for a goal.
Ramos screamed out his frustration and booted a ball across the field. Bendik gave him a stern look and asked if he was done kicking the ball and ready to play.
“I think it was just finally we get the chance to work on a lot more stuff,” Bendik said. “Ya know, with that run of games we had, it’s a lot more tough to come into training and compete
like that exactly. But, yeah, it’s fun, it’s good, it’s testing our ability to not be too emotional and to play a bit more.
“You’ve got to know personalities. You can’t take too many stabs at some guys, other guys you can lay into and be fine with after. It’s just about showing up the next day ready to work again.”
Kaká was training in full. Defenders Jonathan Spector and Scott Sutter did not train. The club is giving them extra time off since they are among the team’s leaders in MLS minutes played and they played through the winter with their European teams before joining Orlando City.
MLS fines
Right back Rafael Ramos had a red card rescinded this week, meaning he will not be suspended or fined for the call made during the Lions’ match against the Chicago Fire last week.
However, the MLS disciplinary
committee announced Friday it has fined Ramos an undisclosed amount for failing to leave the field in an orderly manner after he was ejected in the 26th minute.
Ramos remained on the pitch for a few minutes after the call, looking stunned while teammates argued with the official.
Midfielder Antonio Nocerino, who also was ejected in that game for cleating Chicago’s Matt Polster in the back during a challenge, will serve a onegame suspension and pay the $250 fine issued for getting a red card.
The disciplinary committee also issued Nocerino an additional undisclosed fine for “violating the league policy regarding hands to the face, head or neck of an opponent.”
During the play, Nocerino cupped his hands on the sides Polster’s head when the Fire defender got up from the ground and stood menacingly in front of Nocerino.