With a few days delay, we now present to you the forecast team of the first half of the season in the Regionalliga West. And, of course, the coach of the first half of the season.
The table is still a little uneven and not all teams – Rot Weiss Ahlen, SV Lippstadt and FC Wegberg-Beeck have 16 games each – have played 17 matches. And yet: The forecasting editorial team has given it some thought and now presents the RS squad for the 2023/2024 Regionalliga West first half of the season, including the coach of the half-season.
For your information: We play in a 3-4-3 system – that means: goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders and three strikers.
Goalkeeper
Lucas Fox (1. FC Bocholt): The 23-year-old is the mainstay of the sensational leaders of the Regionalliga West. His signing in the summer from Luxembourg club F91 Düdelingen proved to be spot on. The fact that Bocholt have conceded just 15 goals is a great credit to the 1.93-meter tall goalkeeper. Most recently, in the 0-0 draw against Schalke II, coach Dietmar Hirsch praised him at the press conference: “Schalke had the majority of chances, but we had a very good back-up in Lucas Fox.” And not just in this game. Because Fox has kept a clean sheet in nine of 18 matches!
Defense
Lukas Frenkert (1. FC Bocholt): 1. FC Bocholt’s run of success has many faces. According to the fans of the surprise first-round champions of the Regionalliga West, however, one player stands out in a particularly positive light: Lukas Frenkert. And the former Münster player is also in the first-half squad.
Nils Winter (Alemannia Aachen): He clears everything that comes down his right side. He fits the emotional Alemannia like a glove. No wonder he has played all 18 games so far. He has also scored two goals. He was already an absolute top performer in Oberhausen and will be again on his return to Aachen.
Dominik Lanius (Fortuna Köln): The “tall one”, Lanius measures 1.95 meters, is the defensive leader in coach Markus von Ahlen’s team. In 17 appearances, he has already scored four goals and also keeps things together at Fortuna, which has the third-best defense in the league.
Midfield
Ramien Safi (SV Rödinghausen): We have nominated the 24-year-old Dutchman with Afghan roots here simply because he is seen as an exceptional player by many experts in the league. The tenor: We will see this player in the higher leagues in the future. 17 games, six goals. But the 24-year-old should not only be measured by his goals. He plays his opponents dizzy on the wing and they can hardly keep up with Safi: fast, agile and dangerous. We will certainly be hearing and writing a lot more about Safi in 2024.
Patrik Twardzik (FC Gütersloh): The fact that FC Gütersloh are in ninth place and are also the best promoted team is also thanks to FCG’s best player Patrik Twardzik. He is the key man in the game for coach Julian Hesse’s team. 17 games, nine goals, three assists – it feels like he is involved in every dangerous move by the East Westphalians. He was already one of the best players in the Regionalliga Nordost and is now one of the best players in the West Division.
Moritz Stoppelkamp (Rot-Weiß Oberhausen): MSV Duisburg no longer wanted to offer the Zebras icon a new contract. A clear case of: Self-inflicted. Duisburg are languishing in the basement of the 3rd division and have scored just ten goals. There is no one who can score. They should ask their ex-captain in Duisburg about that. Even at 36, he’s a top man one level below the 3rd division: 17 games, ten goals, eight assists. These Stoppelkamp statistics would certainly suit MSV very well now. He is keeping RWO alive in the promotion battle with his goals and assists. Without “Stoppel”, the Cloverleafs would probably have been out of the race long ago.
Anton Heinz (Alemannia Aachen): The 25-year-old proved just recently how valuable his fine left foot is with his three free-kick goals in the 4:3 win over Wuppertaler SV. By regional league standards, he is an incomparable marksman. He may lack other qualities such as speed and robustness to play a league higher. But he is made for the Regionalliga – undoubtedly one of the best. 18 games, nine goals and five assists are not the worst figures either
Justin Diehl (1. FC Köln II): The 19-year-old feels like he’s playing in a different league. When opponents see that Diehl is on the line-up sheet, the big tremors begin. 18 games, eleven goals, nine assists – Diehl is a machine. Whether in Cologne or elsewhere, we will see him in either the 1st or 2nd Bundesliga in the new season. That’s for sure.
Kevin Goden (1. FC Düren): We could see him in the Bundesliga 2 as early as January 1, 2024. Several third and second division clubs are reportedly interested in the 24-year-old striker from 1. FC Düren. And it’s no wonder: an attacker who scores twelve goals in 15 matches is automatically in demand.
Charlison Benschop (Wuppertaler SV): The 34-year-old has already played at a higher level and proves why he made 120 appearances in the Eredivisie, 82 in the 2nd Bundesliga and 16 in the 1st Bundesliga. He is simply a goalscorer, as he was in Wuppertal: 17 games, nine goals, seven assists. 16 goals in 17 appearances – a top summer transfer in 2023 for WSV under sporting director Gaetano Manno.
The coach of the 2023/2024 Regionalliga West first half of the season
Dietmar Hirsch (1. FC Bocholt): There can only be one: Dietmar Hirsch is the father of success at 1. FC Bocholt. Mention must also be made of manager Christopher Schorch, who put together the squad together with Hirsch, including 17 new signings. But what the 51-year-old soccer coach Hirsch squeezes out of this squad is worthy of all honors. He is regarded as a good communicator and an absolute expert. He is currently more than living up to this reputation in Bocholt. With 2.33 points per game, the former Bundesliga player is also enjoying his best coaching spell at the Hünting. In terms of points, this was previously at Teutonia Ottensen (1.88 points per game). Hirsch should top this average at the end of the season in his first season in Bocholt.
