The other brother: Federico Higuain ready to shine in 2015 MLS Cup

"They say his brother was even better."

It's a common saying from those who grew up watching superstar players when they were but children, said mostly in jest as figures from a footballer's childhood recount memories of boyhood skill, perhaps since lost.

But for Columbus midfielder Federico Higuain, the shadow of his younger brother Gonzalo Higuain still looms large.

Federico grew up in Argentina, the son of former Argentine footballer Jorge Higuain, nicknamed "Pipa." Both brothers adopted the nickname, Federico taking "Pipa" and Gonzalo the more youthful "Pipita" in homage to their father and his legacy.

That legacy is one Gonzalo has carried to even greater heights.

While Federico plied his trade in South and Central America, Gonzalo made his move to Europe - first to the fabled Santiago Bernabeu with Real Madrid, then to Naples, where he now starts up top for Napoli.

Apart from one short stint in Turkey with Besiktas, Federico has never tasted European football, much less the glory Gonzalo achieved with La Liga titles at Madrid or the World Cup glory he nearly tasted with Argentina - whose national team has never called up Federico in well over a decade of play.

"Honestly, it doesn't bother me that people want to talk about Gonzalo all the time," Higuain said in 2013. "I don't feel any bitterness. I have the pleasure of doing a job that I love and bearing a name that symbolises honesty and hard work."

On Sunday, Federico Higuain has a chance for glory at long, long last, and it will be his and his alone to celebrate.

The Columbus Crew take on the Portland Timbers in the 2015 MLS Cup final at MAPFRE Stadium. The "other" Higuain - the older, less-esteemed, less well-known Higuain - is Columbus' star midfielder.

Everything goes through Federico - every play, every attacking buildup, every spell of possession. When Wil Trapp or Tony Tchani win back possession, it's Federico they look for in midfield.

He is clockwork manifest.

The rapid-fire football that defines Columbus is easy to observe: Someone gets the ball. They find Higuain. Higuain whips the ball over to a wide player, Justin Meram on the left, or, more often than not, Ethan Finlay on the right. Sometimes, it's right full-back Harrison Afful bursting up the flank.

This repetitive motion ends where the play often does, as Higuain's passes in midfield yield crosses into the box for one Kei Kamara to head or tap home. There is no Lionel Messi to Federico's Andres Iniesta. There's not even a semblance of one. He is alone, a flair player surrounded by physical beasts.

"He's the guy who ties everything together," Crew head coach Gregg Berhalter explained. "He ties the defense to the offense on both sides of the ball. He's been fantastic this year, and his contribution is underrated in my eyes because he's been performing at a really, really high level."

It's predictable, it's consistent, and, for Federico, it's just the way he plays. His passing and movement open up space and expose inch-wide mistakes from opposition defenders, who time their runs at a different beat. It's why, at 31, he still moves around in midfield without much physical challenge, without being dominated by bigger, burlier players.

At 31 years old, though, Federico has slowed down, and, as such, has had to adapt. He now plays a little deeper, focusing on his passing game, rather than running at goal. In 2012, Higuain was named MLS Newcomer of the Year, but he was a very different player back then.

"With any transition, it does take a while to become familiar. ... With (our) style of play, he's found his role in it," Berhalter said of Federico's changed responsibilities since his own arrival to the team in 2014. "Maybe from the beginning it took a while to become more defined, but now it's clear and he understands it. It's a complicated role, and that's why it maybe took a little longer for him, because it's such an important role and a complicated role."

For the first time, Federico has a chance to escape from under his brother's shadow. A win over the Timbers would give him a trophy to celebrate at long, long last. In another life, Federico and Gonzalo would have been a joy to watch playing side by side in the prime of their careers.

But in the end, maybe one brother doesn't have to be better than the other.

Maybe both sons of "Pipa" Higuain are perfectly suited for exactly where they are.