Where are the surprises on U.S. January camp roster?

What is important to remember in considering the selections named Sunday for the national team’s annual January camp was a little droplet of distinction we told you last week.

Past January camps were largely used to introduce new talent into the U.S. player pool. Coaches got a long look-see over two or three weeks, and players learned more about the speed of thought, speed and play and general demands of the international game.

This time around, with final round World Cup qualifying so near, and with a busy summer ahead that will necessitate reaching deeply into the player pool, the camp roster more accurately reflects the true depth chart.

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Generally, we are told, these are the 25 healthy bodies who would be called when the very front line men playing abroad (the obvious ones, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Tim Howard, etc.) are not available.

With that in mind, here quickly are the surprises:

• Interesting to see Philadelphia’s Jeff Parke get a call. He was in last year’s camp, so that’s not the surprising part. Rather, it’s that he has remained ahead of FC Dallas’ George John, who was called into last year’s camp but was pulled out immediately when a loan to West Ham.
• Incidentally, the Union says Parke is the first active player for the club to be called into a U.S. national team camp.
• Benny Feilhaber’s inclusion was something of a surprise. Not because he doesn’t have the talent, but simply because he became something of a forgotten man in 2012. After starting the first match last year for Klinsmann, we never heard from the playmaking midfielder again on the national team. Later in the summer, he lost his starting spot in New England – again, not due to flagging talent. So, there is clearly an opportunity here for a Feilhaber “do over.” He had better keep his head down, work hard and take advantage.
• Looking at the goalkeepers, you’d have to think this is where Klinsmann is using the camp for some initial inspections. Otherwise, Nick Rimando would be in California today.
• If the RSL man has somehow slipped on the depth chart, then you might wonder if Tally Hall, at age 27, is now the third U.S. goalkeeper, ahead of the much younger Bill Hamid and Sean Johnson?
• Steven Beitashour, Justin Morrow, Tony Beltran and Connor Lade (pictured) are all outside backs and all national team newbies – although all deserving of closer inspection. On the other hand, Heath Pearce and Zach Loyd, each of whom started a game at left back last January, have apparently been lapped.
• Same for Jeff Larentowicz and Ricardo Clark; they both started one of the two January matches a year back, but neither made the 25-man camp this time around.
• Eight players among the 25 are uncapped at full international level: Hall, Beitashour, Morrow, Beltran, Lade, Matt Besler, Will Bruin and Alfredo Morales.
• Considering his poor season with the LA Galaxy, you’d have to consider Edson Buddle’s inclusion a surprise. Buddle had three goals in 2012 – or 15 fewer than New York’s Kenny Cooper, who did not receive a call-up. You’d have to think Buddle’s name would not be on the list if  D.C. United’s Chris Pontius was healthy at the moment.