Saarland national football team
.svg) | |||
| Nickname(s) | - | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Saarländischer Fußball-Bund | ||
| Head coach | - | ||
| Most caps | Waldemar Philippi (18) | ||
| Top scorer | Herbert Binkert, Herbert Martin (6) | ||
| FIFA code | SAA | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Saarland 5 - 3 Switzerland B  (Saarbrücken, Saar; 22 November, 1950)  Norway 2 - 3 Saarland (Oslo, Norway; 24 June, 1953) Last International  Netherlands 3 - 2 Saarland (Amsterdam, Netherlands; 6 June, 1956) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| Switzerland B 2 - 5 Saarland (Bern, Switzerland; 15 September, 1951) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
Saarland 1 - 7 Uruguay  (Saarbrücken, Saar; 5 June, 1954) | |||
| Appearances | (first in -) | ||
| Best result | - | ||
| Appearances | (first in -) | ||
| Best result | - | ||
The Saarland national football team was the team of the Saarland during the separation from Germany from 1950 to 1956, when it was a French protectorate.
History
As one of three post-war German teams (along with West Germany and East Germany), it played only 19 games (10 of those against "B" teams), but did participate in the 1954 World Cup qualifiers (see below). Coach Helmut Schön was the manager of the Saarland team from 1952 until Saarland became a part of West Germany in 1957. He went on to coach West Germany successfully.
1954 World Cup qualifying
The only time that the Saar entered the World Cup was in 1954. They were drawn in Group 1 alongside West Germany and Norway, in a triangular series. They won their only competitive away match in Norway in the opening round 3-2. After West Germany drew their first game against Norway, the Saarland topped the group. However, it could not last long and they were emphatically beaten 3-0 by West Germany. They could only manage a 0-0 draw against Norway in Saarbrücken which placed them joint first until West Germany beat Norway 5-1. The remaining match was the only chance they had left to qualify. If the Saarland won, they would be joint first with West Germany at the end of the group stage. However, they lost 3-1 and finished second in the group, ahead of Norway, and behind West Germany which went on to win the 1954 World Cup.
This was the Saarland's only separate entry in the World Cup as the Saarland and its players could join West Germany in time to assist in the defence of the Cup in 1958.
World Cup record
National Anthem
The Saar did not have an official national anthem before, and so their first international football appearance (1950 vs. Switzerland) was the reason to establish "Ich weiß, wo ein liebliches, freundliches Tal" as the official Saar anthem.
External links
International association football | ||
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| World (FIFA) |  | |
| Asia (AFC) | ||
| Africa (CAF) | ||
| North America (CONCACAF) | ||
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| Non-FIFA | ||