THE UNITED STATES U-17 national team opened its World Cup qualifying campaign with an impressive 5-0 win over Group A opponent Cuba yesterday in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. While the opponent was weak, the Americans looked prepared and dominated the game from the opening whistle.

Cuba's hopes for an upset faded early when Hugo Arellano headed home a Christian Pulisic corner kick in the fifth minute. For Arellano, a product of the Los Angeles Galaxy academy, the goal was his second for the U-17 team and his first of 2015.

The young Yanks dealt with a setback in the 28th minute when midfielder Eric Calvillo suffered a lower leg injury which forced head coach Richie Williams to go to his bench earlier than expected and sub Red Bulls Academy product Tyler Adams into the game. In the 40th minute, the U.S. doubled its lead when FC Dallas midfielder Alejandro Zendejas played Pulisic into the right side of the box. The Borussia Dortmund playmaker—one of the best players in the tournament—picked up his second assist with a low cross that Monterrey’s Joe Gallardo finished with ease from close range.

Only three minutes later, Zendejas put the game away when he took advantage of a poor clearance from Cuba’s defense and fired home a perfect drive from just inside the box. It was Zendejas’ fourth goal for the U-17 team this cycle.

In the 64th minute, Gallardo turned the game into a rout with his second strike of the game when he took a pass from substitute Fulham’s Luca de la Torre and hit a long shot from outside the box that found its way past Cuban keeper Jesus Henrique Hernandez for a 4-0 lead. With two minutes left in regulation, Gallardo completed his hat trick and finished the scoring.

The U.S., 4-1-0 so far in 2015, will now face Trinidad & Tobago in its second game of the tournament on Monday. Here are some takeaways from the opening match.

1. Expectations Met, so far

United States youth teams have not always played up to expectations in recent years, with the 2011 U-20 team, the 2012 U-23s, and the 2013 U-17s all failing to qualify for their pinnacle competitions. Even when other U.S. youth squads teams have managed to qualify for World Cups, they have rarely stood out against CONCACAF competition.

This U-17 team has had a lot of expectations and it delivered in its opening game. Yes, this Cuban team was probably the weakest side the U.S. will face, but Richie Williams' team did not play down to the level of its competition. It took Cuba out of the game early, outclassed its opponents in every facet of the game, and never took its foot off the gas pedal. Playing up to expectations, regardless of the strength of the opponent, is a sign of preparation and confidence.

Defensively, the team has not yet been tested. But the offense has so many different scoring options that it is going to be very difficult for other CONCACAF teams to stop.

2. Strong Effort from Joe Gallardo

Gallardo, one of the more talented players on this strong U.S. team, suffered a broken leg in August while playing for the U-17s and there were doubts about his ability to recover in time. His hat trick yesterday put those concerns to rest.

Broken legs have stunted the development of several U.S. youth prospects in recent years—most notably Marc Pelosi and Will Packwood. Like these two, Gallardo appears to have made a full recovery and received a nice reward for the hard work he put in during rehabilitation.

3. Pulisic looks poised to deliver

After signing a lucrative deal with Borussia Dortmund and earning rave reviews from the German media, Christian Pulisic faced lofty expectations ahead of this tournament. Sometimes with youth prospects there is a “deer in the headlights” reaction once the hype machine starts and they are asked to deliver.

Pulisic looked up to the task and came out with assists on the first two goals. The competition will get harder but Pulisic is off to a very strong start.

4. Field Conditions Not a Factor

Often the playing conditions in CONCACAF locations outside of the United States and Mexico are poor. In January's U-20 qualifying tournament in Jamaica, the playing surface was so choppy that every team struggled to keep the ball on the ground.

Though far from ideal, the conditions at Estadio Francisco Morazán were not as bad as those the U-20s faced in Jamaica. The team was able to maintain possession and build attacks through the midfield rather than resorting to a long-ball, “Route 1” approach.

Last month U.S. soccer arranged a trip for the U.S. U-17 team to travel to Honduras and play and train in the stadium it played in yesterday. Did the investment pay off? Hard to say at this point, but the squad's strong start is certainly encouraging.

Brian Sciaretta is an American Soccer Now columnist and an ASN 100 panelist. Follow him on Twitter.