Joachim Loew, the coach of German national soccer team, smiles as he waits for the beginning of a press conference where he presented his preliminary team for the upcoming World Cup in Brazil in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, May 8, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) (The Associated Press)
BERLIN – Mario Gomez was left off Germany's World Cup roster by coach Joachim Loew, who selected six players with no previous national team experience for his 30-man preliminary roster.
The roster announced Thursday, which averages 24.8 years, includes among the newcomers Sampdoria defender Shkodran Mustafi (22), Borussia Dortmund defender Erik Durm (22 on Monday), Augsburg attacking midfielder Andre Hahn (23), Hoffenheim forward Kevin Volland (21), and Schalke midfielders Max Meyer (18) and Leon Goretzka (19).
Freiburg midfielder Matthias Ginter, who made his debut against Chile in March, also was picked.
Germany is grouped with the United States, Portugal and Ghana at the World Cup. Loew was an assistant to Jurgen Klinsmann at the 2006 World Cup, then took over after the tournament. Klinsmann was hired as coach of the U.S. team in 2011.
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