HAMBURG, Germany (AFP) — Germany kicked off their World Cup finals preparations with their youngest-ever side holding Poland to a goalless draw yesterday although the home crowd was not happy and whistled them off the pitch at the end.

With 13 of his squad involved in Saturday’s German Cup final when Bayern Munich play Borussia Dortmund in Berlin, Germany coach Joachim Loew named eight debutants for the friendly in Hamburg and his entire starting 11 had a combined total of just 13 caps.

It was the youngest German side ever named — with an average aged of 21.45 — in the 106-year history of German Football Association (DFB) internationals, beating the previous record of 21.5 for a 1908 international against Switzerland.

Several of them did enough to impress the coach in the first of three pre-World Cup friendlies with matches against Cameroon and Armenia to come.

However, it remains to be seen who stays in when the squad will be cut to 25 or 26 players today before later being reduced to the definitive 23 who Loew will take to the World Cup.

Of the starting side against Poland, only captain Julian Draxler has a realistic chance of lining up to face Portugal in Germany’s Group G opener in Salvador on June 16.

Schalke’s promising trio of left-wing Draxler, 20, attacking midfielder Max Meyer, 18, and right-wing Leon Goretzka, 19, had their first run out for the senior national side having all risen through the junior ranks, with play-maker Meyer comfortable on the ball without dazzling.

Hoffenheim’s 21-year-old striker Kevin Volland had a few half chances up front as he played the first half, while at the other end Poland’s defensive midfielder Mateusz Klich forced Germany goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler into a save with half an hour gone.

With his side not going to Brazil, Poland coach Adam Nawalka left out his Dortmund stars in striker Robert Lewandowski and right-back Lukasz Piszczek with Southampton’s veteran goalkeeper Artur Boruc captaining the side with Werder Bremen striker Ludovic Obraniak playing up front.