User:C18ver/2023 Merlin Regionals

The 2023 Bishan Merlin Regionals is the 5th season of Singapore's premier amateur club futsal tournament organised by the SGYF, and the 2nd season since it was renamed from King of Triple Threat to the Merlin Regionals.

All 16 games were held on the same day at Bishan ActiveSG Futsal Court. The winners of the 2023 Merlin Regionals will earn the right to play against the winners of the December Let's Play Football League in the 2024 SGFSA Community Shield.

Elite Predators are the defending champions, having won their second title in the previous edition but would not be taking part in the 2023 edition due to the SGYF Boycott.

Teams
The 2023 edition saw an increase in the number of teams from four in 2022 to eight. Several teams in Singapore were reached out by the Singapore Youtube Football Federation to participate. A play-off was to be held in the event that more than eight teams showed interest in playing. Each team were to submit a squad list of up to ten players and if applicable, two reserve players in the case of an injury or a no show.

On 31 October 2023, FootXBall withdrew from the competition. Maestro Boys FC would replace them later on.

Format
The eight teams were split into two groups of four in a round-robin format where each team played against each other once. The top two of each group moved into the semi-finals with a third place play-off and the final happening after. Initially, it was planned for the the group stage to last ten minutes with no halves while the knockout stages had two halves of ten minutes with five minutes of overtime in the event of a draw. Due to time constraints mid tournament, all knockouts matches were held with the timing of the group stage matches.

All matches were played on the same day.

Group A
The match between Hawkguys and Shinoa Squad has yet to be publicized.

Group B
The match between Hawkguys and Shinoa Squad has yet to be publicized.

The match between Tiger City and Serangoon Belgrade has yet to be publicized.

3rd/4th
''No extra time was played due to time constraints. Hawkguys and Teck Whye Hounds were deemed as joint second runners up.''

VAR involvement in the Sembawang Derby
Group A's final round between Northern United and Sembawang United was the last match to decide who between the two would qualify to the semi-finals after Teck Whye Hounds' victory against the latter confirmed Maestro Boys' elimination from the tournament. Sembawang United were put at a disadvantage nearing the end of the game when they lost and had to replace key defender Zheng after he was adjudged to have performed a 'DOGSO' slide tackle on Northern United's Yang Zhenkang.

In the last segment of the game, Sembawang United won a penalty through forward Jordan after he was adjudged to have been tripped in the box. Just as Sembawang were about to take the penalty, the officials involved themselves with video footage to confirm if Jordan was properly fouled. After a few minutes of watching, the officials declared Jordan to have dived and as such continued the match with a few minutes added on.

Sembawang would go on to clinch a last gasp winner through Ian Chan but his goal would be protested against by the Northern United bench who claimed that a second ball was in play during the phase and as such Chan's goal should've been ruled out. After another few minutes of watching the footage, the officials declared the goal as illegitimate and cited FIFA's official rules that if two balls were to be on the pitch at the same time that whatever happened during that phase will not be acknowledged. As a result, the game continued with another few minutes and ended in a 0-0 draw allowing Northern United to qualify to the semi-finals on virtue of goal difference.

The decisions denying Jordan a penalty and Chan a goal led to an ensue of arguments after the match with Sembawang players surrounding the officials demanding for a replay of the last few minutes. The official in charge of the decision said: "'I understand their (Sembawang United) frustrations and they can be however angry they want with me. But I made the decision and stand by it. I had given them ample time to score another goal and they couldn't capitalise on it.'"Northern United would go on to win the entire competition afterwards.