ORLANDO, Florida -- The words "fun" and "enjoy" aren't usually associated with international soccer matches. You are more likely to hear terms like "suffer" and "grind" instead. But the vibes before, during and after the United States men's national team's 4-1 victory over Peru on Saturday definitely veered into "fun" territory. The reason for the upbeat emotions was the presence of a passel of young USMNT players. All told, 11 players -- eight of which are teenagers -- made their international debuts. Two of them -- forwards Justin Ellis and Julian Hall -- found the net, making them the first pair of teens to score on their international debuts since Josh Sargent and Timothy Weah did the trick back in 2018 against Bolivia. Other newcomers impressed as well.

"I think they were so good," U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino said about the debutantes. "I think they played like experienced players. I think they were so comfortable on the field." But this was a complete team performance, with veterans providing the kind of composure and know-how to provide a platform for the newcomers to strut their stuff. Malik Tillman converted a controversial penalty -- the foul on another debutante, Mathis Albert, looked to be outside the box -- while Sebastian Berhalter capped of the proceedings with a mammoth strike from distance that nearly broke the sound barrier. The starting midfield of Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah and Tillman in particular oozed experience.

For Adams, bringing the young players along requires him to wear two hats. There's the positivity that comes inside the camp. Then when the game starts, it's all business, and time to compete. It's a role that Adams has long filled for the USMNT, even though Saturday's match was the first time he'd been named captain under Pochettino. "I don't think you want to have too big of an ego around these young guys when they come in," Adams said. "You just want to show them that they're equal to you, that they deserve to be here, that they have an amazing opportunity in front of them and a great runway into the next four years of what it can be like in a lead up to a World Cup."

On Saturday, most eyeballs were fixed on the young players -- and for good reason. This is youth movement is precisely what Pochettino promised when he signed a new contract back in August, saying that he would "start from zero." Pochettino's starting XI featured three debutantes in Ellis, Peyton Miller and Cavan Sullivan. A fourth player, defender George Campbell, was making just his second international appearance. It didn't take long for the influx of youth to make its presence felt, as Ellis' glancing header from Giovanni Reyna's free kick put the U.S. up in the fourth minute, with the Orlando City SC forward left to celebrate in front of his club's fans. "It's the perfect moment now," Ellis said. "I play in the stadium often, but to play in the stadium for my national team is unbelievable. I think you can see I was just thanking God." It's probably one of the best moments of my life.