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BEIJING, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Australia's soccer team have gone to extreme lengths to cope with the searing heat and humidity of the Chinese summer, changing both their tactics and team selection, coach Graham Arnold said.
Arnold said a special camp was held in the tropical northern city of Darwin before the squad was chosen and players who could not handle the conditions were left out of the final squad of eighteen.
"Some players can't cope with those sort of conditions, they sweat too much and when that happens they can't perform to the best of their ability," he told Reuters.
"We wanted to make sure that every player we picked can deal with the conditions."
In previous tournaments, Australia have often selected their squad and turned up hoping for the best but this time Arnold said the players had been subjected to a battery of tests in hot, humid conditions.
"They have done sweat testing, heat and humidity testing and core temperature testing.
"We have been training twice a day, including once at midday when temperatures are even higher than they will be at kickoff time," he said.
"Tactically, we also have something we do which I can't make public.
"We have to make the field as small as possible, we have to be compact in midfield."
Australia face Argentina, Serbia and Ivory Coast in Group A, arguably the toughest in the first round.
Arnold said he was unworried about the news that Argentina will be able to field Lionel Messi after Barcelona obeyed FIFA's resolution ordering clubs to release all-under 23 players for the tournament.
"I'm glad he's playing because that means that when we beat them, they won't have any excuses," he said.
"Argentina don't put any fear into use," added Arnold. "We are striving for nine points."
