Orlando City Announces Signing of Colombian Midfielder Cristian Higuita

It’s been a busy day for Orlando City SC and for the fine folks who handle immigration paperwork for MLS players. The Lions made their third announcement of the day, confirming the signing of Colombian midfielder Cristian Higuita (pronounced He-Gwee-Ta) from Deportivo Cali.

It was Higuita's tweet that first tipped us off to Orlando's interest, as he appeared in a purple Lions jersey along with Cali and OCSC teammate Carlos Rivas on Jan. 8. The next day, Paul Tenorio of the Orlando Sentinel reported that the duo had signed with Orlando City.

"We're delighted that Cristian is joining us for the 2015 season," said Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath in a club press release. "He's another young player who we think has a tremendous upside, and we're looking forward to working with him."

Higuita, who turned 21 just 14 days ago, joins Orlando City after spending the previous four seasons in Colombia's top division. He's coming off his most successful campaign as a pro last year, starting in 10 matches and scoring two goals for Deportivo Cali.

At the international level, the 5-foot-9 defensive midfielder has featured for Colombia's U-17 and U-20 teams, most recently in June of 2013. His side also won the Sudamerican U-20 tournament in 2013.