With his game-winning goal in the 57th minute on Saturday night, Federico Higuain scored his fifth goal of the season. It was yet another milestone in Higuain’s distinguished Crew career, as it clinched the sixth season in which he had scored at least five goals and dished out at least five assists.

The “double nickel” is a benchmark that a player is a credible threat to both score and set up his teammates. Higuain’s goal set a new Columbus Crew record for double nickel seasons. He had previously been tied with Brian McBride with five.

Higuain’s double nickels are as follows:

2012: 5 G, 7 A
2013: 11 G, 9 A
2014: 11 G, 7 A
2015: 8 G, 9 A
2017: 9 G, 14 A
2018: 5 G, 8 A (in progress)

Only his injury plagued 2016 has prevented Higuain from reaching double-nickel status every season of his Crew career.

There have now been 38 double-nickles in Crew history by 19 different players. Here they are broken down by frequency of occurrence.

Six times:
Federico Higuain (2012-2015, 2017-2018)

Five times:
Brian McBride (1997-2000, 2002)

Three times:
Jeff Cunningham (2001-2003)
Guillermo Barros Schelotto (2007-2008, 2010)
Ethan Finlay (2014-2016)
Justin Meram (2015-2017)

Two times:
Brian West (2000, 2001)

One time:
Adrian Paz (1996)
Stern John (1998)
Jason Farrell (1998)
Dante Washington (2000)
Robert Warzcyha (2000)
John Wilmar Perez (2001)
Brian Maisonneuve (2001)
Edson Buddle (2002)
Alejandro Moreno (2007)
Eddie Gaven (2007)
Kei Kamara (2015)
Tony Tchani (2015)

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