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Vancouver Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon fined for embellishment

Vancouver Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon fined for embellishment | iNFOnews.ca
Vancouver Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon (33) and Portland Timbers' Finn Surman (20) jump up for a head ball during an MLS soccer match, Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

NEW YORK — Major League Soccer has fined Vancouver Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon for violating its policy on simulation and embellishment.

The league’s disciplinary committee says the sanction, handed down Tuesday, was for the 29-year-old American centre back’s actions in first-half stoppage time of Vancouver’s 4-1 win over the Timbers in Portland, Ore., on Saturday. The league did not disclose the amount of the fine.

Video of the play shows Blackmon and Timbers defender Finn Surman make contact above the six-yard box on a Whitecaps corner kick.

Blackmon drops to the ground immediately after the collision, holding his head, and takes a moment to get up, again touching his head.

Blackmon, the reigning MLS defender of the year, went on to score in the second half as the ‘Caps improved to 3-0-0 in league play.

Vancouver will host another regional rival, the Seattle Sounders, in the first half of a CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16 series on Thursday before facing Minnesota United in MLS action on Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2026.

Vancouver Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon fined for embellishment | iNFOnews.ca
Vancouver Whitecaps’ Tristan Blackmon speaks during an interview before a training session at Florida International University ahead of the MLS Cup final soccer match, in Miami, on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

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The Canadian Press

The Canadian Press is Canada's trusted news source and leader in providing real-time, bilingual multimedia stories across print, broadcast and digital platforms.

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