Soccer: Oly Whites have an All White tinge

Ryan Nelsen in action at the Beijing Olympics. Photo / Getty Images

The Oly Whites look very much like the All Whites with New Zealand Olympic coach Neil Emblen able to play an entire starting XI with All Whites experience in London.

Emblen announced his 18-man Olympic squad today, with Ryan Nelsen, Shane Smeltz and Michael McGlinchey included as the three overage players allowed for the otherwise under-23 tournament.

Emblen had initially planned to call up Winston Reid but the defender this week declared his unavailability as he attempts to nail down a first-team spot with West Ham who won promotion back to the Premier League - clubs aren't obliged to release players because it's an underage tournament. Midfielder McGlinchey was called up instead, meaning experience in each third of the park.

Nelsen missed the recent failed Oceania Nations Cup campaign in the Solomon Islands with an ankle injury but has pledged he will be fit for his second Olympic campaign and will provide class and leadership to an exciting group.

As many as 13 of the squad have played for the All Whites and 10 appeared in Honiara. Reserve goalkeeper Michael O'Keefe was also called in as an injury replacement for Mark Paston at the Nations Cup but didn't get on the park.

Up front, Emblen can run a first-choice All Whites strike-force with Smeltz, Chris Wood, Kosta Barbarouses and Marco Rojas and Nelsen and Tommy Smith are also automatic choices in Ricki Herbert's starting XI.

Adam Thomas (Waikato FC), Alex Feneridis (Auckland City), James Musa (Team Wellington) and Dakota Lucas (Team Wellington) are the only players other than O'Keefe who haven't appeared for the All Whites but Thomas, Musa and Lucas went to last year's Under-20 World Cup in Colombia and Feneridis has been to two Club World Cups.

Strikers Greg Draper and Sean Lovemore and midfielder Cameron Lindsay are notable omissions but, with so many internationals to choose from, there was plenty of competition for spots.

The Oly Whites have hopes of advancing from their group and are targeting their first two games against Belarus in Coventry on July 28 (NZT) and Egypt at Old Trafford on July 30 (NZT). They round out their campaign against Brazil at Newcastle's St James' Park on August 2 (NZT).

They need to finish in the top two in their group to advance to the quarter-finals and probably need at least a win and a draw to advance.

New Zealand Olympic football squad: Jake Gleeson, Tim Payne, Ian Hogg, Tim Myers, Tommy Smith, Ryan Nelsen (c), Kosta Barbarouses, Michael McGlinchey, Shane Smeltz, Chris Wood, Marco Rojas, Adam Thomas, Alex Feneridis, James Musa, Cameron Howieson, Dakota Lucas, Adam McGeorge, Michael O'Keefe.