Thompson, Carney, North get Olyroos call

Olyroos coach Graham Arnold has named a "very fast, very athletic" squad he believed could possibly contend for a medal at next month's Beijing Olympics.

The over-age players in the squad of 18 are defender Jade North, midfielder David Carney and striker Archie Thompson.

Arnold said striker Harry Kewell was in the selection mix "all the way right up until the death".

However, Kewell made himself unavailable because he felt he could not commit completely to the campaign as he has just signed with Turkish club Galatasaray and didn't want to pull out of the Australian squad prior to the Olympics.

"I've picked a squad that is very fast, very athletic, which has done extremely well," Arnold said.

He felt the squad was battled hardened following a campaign of around 25 matches, most of them in Asia.

Arnold, who played and was an assistant coach at two previous Olympics, said he was looking for players who could handle the anticipated hot conditions.

He said he wouldn't settle on a skipper until the team arrived in Beijing, but said North, who recently captained the Socceroos, was one obvious candidate.

Thompson has recovered from a knee injury suffered in a World Cup qualifier and Arnold said the Melbourne striker had resumed training and would join the squad next Wednesday.

Arnold opted for Thompson ahead of several talented young strikers including former Adelaide United pair Bruce Djite and Nathan Burns, plus David Williams, Michael Zullo and Dario Vidosic, saying that because most of them were only 20, they were "pretty much in between Olympic age groups and that made it pretty difficult for them".

Australia has been drawn in the same group as Serbia, Ivory Coast and Argentina, whose star-studded squad will include Javier Mascherano, Juan Riquelme and young superstar Lionel Messi.

Asked how he intended to cope with the Argentinian squad Arnold joked: "Get Lionel Messi in the tunnel before the game."

The Olyroos coach made it clear Australia wouldn't be intimidated by Argentina or any other Olympic rival.

"We're going to give it our best shot and hold nothing back and fear nobody," Arnold said.

Australia will play four lead-up matches prior to the Olympics against New Zealand at North Sydney Oval next Saturday, followed by three fixtures in Asia against opposition to be announced.

Olympic squad: Tando Velaphi, Adam Federici, Nikita Rukavysta, Stuart Musialik, Mark Milligan, Mark Bridge, Billy Celeski, Kristian Sarkies, Adrian Leijer, Neil Kilkenny, Trent McClenahan, Matthew Spiranovic, James Troisi, Ruben Zadkovich, David Carney, Jade North, Archie Thompson, Nikolai Topor-Stanley.