When the Vancouver Whitecaps kick off their 2015 regular season campaign, they'll do it without one of their key starters. And he'll be missing for the first four matches.
The MLS Disciplinary Committee on Tuesday added a two-game suspension and fine on top of the two matches Sebastian Fernandez automatically received for the red card issued to him for violent conduct at the end of the Western Conference Knockout Round match against FC Dallas on Wednesday, October 29.
After the final whistle, which saw Dallas emerge 2-1 winners and advance to the Western Conference Semifinals, Fernandez confronted referee Mark Geiger, who showed him a straight red card after Fernandez made contact with him.
It's the identical punishment faced earlier this season by FC Dallas winger Fabian Castillo, who also sat out a total of four matches after making contact with a match official following a June 11 game in Portland.
2014 MLS DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE DECISIONS
Nov. 25 (Playoffs):Sebastian Fernandez suspended for making contact with official
Nov. 5 (Playoffs):Jermaine Jones fined for simulation
Oct. 31 (Playoffs):Díaz suspended, FC Dallas warned for mass confrontation
Week 32:Garrido, De Rosario, Igor Juliao fined, suspended
Week 31:Peguy Luyindula fined, suspended
Week 29:Carlos Alvarez suspended, Igor Juliao, Jeff Cassar fined
Week 28:Bakary Soumare suspended | Incident involving Jackson, Nigel Reo-Coker
Week 27:Nick LaBrocca suspended | Michael Bradley fined
Week 23: FC Dallas midfielder Andrés Escobar fined for embellishment
Week 22
:
Eddie Johnson suspended two games, Calum Mallace one for separate incidents
Week 21: Jamison Olave suspended two games, both Morales and Cahill fined
Week 19: Vancouver Whitecaps, Real Salt Lake charged with mass confrontation
Week 17:New York defender Armando, Colorado forward Sánchez suspended two games each
Week 17:Revs midfielder Lee Nguyen suspended for stomp on RSL's John Stertzer
Week 16: FC Dallas winger Fabian Castillo suspended four matches
Week 14:Colorado Rapids' Dillon Serna suspended, fines handed out to Chicago Fire, Seattle Sounders
Week 11:D.C. United's Eddie Johnson, Portland Timbers' Alvas Powell suspended
Week 10:San Jose's Víctor Bernárdez suspended
Week 9:LA Galaxy's Rob Friend fined for embellishment
Week 7: Crew's Bernardo Añor fined for mass confrontation, Chivas USA's Wilmer Cabrera fined
Week 6: Crew's Giancarlo Gonzalez fined for embellishment
Week 5: D.C.'s Lewis Neal suspended, Revolution's Jay Heaps is fined
Week 4:Toronto's Steven Caldwell suspended; Colorado's Drew Moor fined
Week 3:Toronto's Jackson and Portland's Donovan Ricketts are suspended
Week 2:Seattle's Clint Dempsey, two other players suspended