After spending three months on the sidelines, Orlando City midfielder Cristian Higuita is determined to make the last four games of the season count.
When he started for the Lions on Saturday, it was the midfielder’s first time playing at Exploria Stadium since June 1. After suffering a hamstring injury, he spent more than 10 weeks off the field, rehabbing away from the team and then slowly re-integrating into practice.
It took three additional weeks of contact training with the team before coach James O’Connor felt Higuita was ready to play in a match. For Higuita, the worst part was feeling helpless as he stayed stuck on the sidelines, watching the team from home during road matches and sitting in a suite for home games.