The first half of the season in the 3rd division is over, and two second-half match days have already been played. The winter break is a good time to choose the RS first half of the season team.
The first half of the 3rd division season is over. Even more: except for Rot-Weiss Essen, Spielvereinigung Unterhaching, Borussia Dortmund II, 1860 Munich, Preußen Münster and Hallescher FC, who have all played 19 games, the other 14 third division teams have already played 20 games.
Our editorial team has now used the start of the winter break to select a forecasting third division team for the first half of the season.
For your information: We play in a 3-4-3 system – that means: goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders and three forwards. And of course, this team is also “managed” by a coach from the first half of the season.
Goal
Jakob Golz (Rot-Weiss Essen): The Essen number one was a major factor in RWE ending 2023 with 33 points and playing an impressive first half of the season. Many of the Red & Whites’ games were on a knife edge but then tipped in RWE’s favor – also because 25-year-old Golz made countless brilliant saves this season. The goalkeeper has also kept six clean sheets. And: Golz was also named runner-up to VfL Bochum’s Anthony Losilla by RS users as the 2023 Revier footballer of the year.
Felix Götze (Rot-Weiss Essen): Alongside Golz and Vinko Sapina, the boss in the RWE midfield, Götze is one of the three mainstays of the Essen team. Once an offensive man who came to Rot-Weiss, he now commands the red-and-white defense – and very strongly. It’s hard to imagine the defense without him.
Jakob Lewald (Dynamo Dresden): The 24-year-old was trained at SV Werder Bremen and then his path led via BSV Rehden and Viktoria Berlin to Dynamo Dresden. This season, Lewald has played 20 of a possible 20 league games and is an absolute key player in Markus Anfang’s team. With Jahn Regensburg, Dynamo has the strongest defense in the 3rd division, with both teams only conceding 17 goals. Lewald also deserves credit for this.
Konrad Faber (SSV Jahn Regensburg): He is the Jahn defensive boss! Faber didn’t miss a single minute – 20 games and 1800 minutes of play: that’s as good as it gets. The 26-year-old also scored two goals and set up four more – a prime example for a wing back.
Midfielder
Julian Hettwer (Borussia Dortmund II): Even before the canceled game between BVB II and Münster, Preußen coach Sascha Hildmann said: “With Ole Pohlmann and Julian Hettwer, they have Bundesliga players in their ranks. For me, these are first-division players.” This statement is only underlined by Hettwer’s record this season: 18 appearances, six goals, seven assists. With this transfer – Hettwer came from MSV Duisburg in the summer of 2023 – BVB did everything right.
Oliver Batista Meier (SC Verl): Perhaps the best player in the 3rd division. 20 games, nine goals, ten assists – what an amazing record for the 22-year-old former Bayern Munich jewel. Batista Meier was loaned out from Dresden to Verl in the summer to gain playing experience. He is doing just that – and on top of that, he was involved in 19 Verl goals. Reason enough for Dynamo to recall the attacking midfielder to the Saxon capital on January 1, 2024. Dynamo Dresden has ended the loan via a clause. For the rest of the season, Batista Meier will play for the team in second place.
Niklas Hauptmann (Dynamo Dresden): In the future, Hauptmann will then back up Batista Meier in the number six position when he swirls in front of him and scores goals and assists. Hauptmann is playing an outstanding season and is Dynamo’s stabilizing force. When a club prematurely extends a contract until 2028, it must be a really good player. Niklas Hauptmann is undoubtedly that.
Dominik Kother (SSV Jahn Regensburg): At just 22 years old, he is one of the midfield engines of the league leaders. The left winger has five goals and eight assists to his name. He made the right decision by moving from Karlsruher SC to Regensburg this summer. As the saying goes: Sometimes a step backwards turns out to be two steps forward. That’s how it could turn out – after all, Kother could be promoted with Jahn and KSC could be relegated.
Malik Batmaz (Preußen Münster): And another former Karlsruhe player who has hit the ground running at his new club. Batmaz has not only scored 11 goals for the promoted side from Münster, but has also become an absolute favorite with the Preußen fans. He runs, works hard and scores goals – what more could a fan want to see?
Jannik Mause (FC Ingolstadt): 13 goals and three assists in 19 appearances: He has proven his class over years in the Regionalliga – 156 games, 39 goals, 17 assists – and shows that he can do the same one level higher. This Mause would probably score goals in the Bundesliga 2 as well.
Kai Brünker (1. FC Saarbrücken): The 1.90-meter “machine” from 1. FC Saarbrücken not only scored nine goals in the league to help FCS look up, but he is also one of Saarbrücken’s DFB Cup heroes. He has already scored two goals in the three rounds. And in the quarter-finals, he will now face Borussia Mönchengladbach. Anyone who can beat Bayern and Frankfurt and has a Brünker in their team can also knock out Gladbach.
Coach of the first half of the season
Verler Alexander Ende or Ulmer Thomas Wörle? In the end, we decided to go with the NRW view and chose Ende. Because, sure: Wörle would have deserved it too. After all, he is the third-place coach at the winter break. But what is being achieved in Verl, and the coach is primarily responsible for this, cannot be overstated. Year after year, the East Westphalians lose their best players – including coaches Guerino Capretti and Michel Kniat – and yet they deliver. Now in its fourth consecutive season in the third division, and each time with the smallest budget in the third division. SC Verl is always one of the teams fighting against relegation, but this season it is more likely to be found among the teams aspiring to promotion. This is a great achievement for the sporting management team, led by sports director Raimund Bertels, sports director Sebastian Lange and head coach Alexander Ende. It remains to be seen whether the football teacher will also be able to replace Oliver Batista Meier in the remaining matches – but, as has been said many times: anything is possible for this Verl team.