A three-game winning streak is enough to keep the vibes high regardless of the context, but for the U.S. men's national team, optimism comes easily these days. Their lopsided wins over Peru, Chile and Mexico over the last week and change came courtesy of a group of teenagers who have so far risen to the challenges of international soccer in their first go, offering early peeks at their collective potential along the way.

As the USMNT head into their final friendly of the oversized international break on Tuesday against Canada, the window might already be a success, despite some uneven performances. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino has prioritized player development over wins but has ticked off boxes in both columns along the way, perhaps because of the imperfections along the way. The youth-focused U.S. team have found ways to solve problems over the course of their first games together, things trending in exactly the right direction thus far. Pochettino has wasted no opportunity to talk about the "fantastic atmosphere" and a youthful energy in camp he has described as "contagious," heaping praise on the newcomers and more experienced players alike.

There's a relaxed professionalism to the USMNT as a result, a natural tone shift in the first international break after a World Cup. The true objectives of the good vibes camp, though, are always top of mind.

How to watch USMNT vs. Canada, odds

Date: Tuesday, Oct. 6 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Allianz Field -- Saint Paul, Minn.
TV: TNT | Live stream: HBO Max
Odds: USMNT -130; Draw +270; Canada +330

"That is the way to keep going, to build that chemistry in between the senior players with the new players," Pochettino said Monday. "I think that was the most important thing that happened in this window, to have three weeks to build this relationship. That is an important thing. That is a tactical situation that is important to build. Without this, it's difficult, after, to propose something on the pitch and to feel the complicity inside."

Pochettino is hesitant to force connections – he refused to link Saturday's 3-0 win over Mexico to their upcoming game against Canada, describing each as a "different world," and calls the fall friendlies as a "fresh start" rather than a continuation of this year's World Cup. It is hard not to acknowledge the context of the new-look USMNT, even if Pochettino has left it behind. Two years after first assuming the role and being tasked with preparing for a World Cup in short order, Pochettino now has the luxury of time and hopes not to waste any of it.

Twelve players have earned their first caps and a 13th, forward Cole Campbell, could do so on Tuesday against Canada. All but 19-year-old winger Zavier Gozo have played at least 50 minutes so far, Pochettino doing what he can to introduce each of them to the demands of the senior national team before any of them are asked to play a part in competitive matches. Those will come in short order – a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal awaits next month, victory there earning them a spot in March's semifinal and maybe a final days later. With or without that trip, the Concacaf Gold Cup returns next summer, and World Cup qualifying begins next fall. Slowly and then all at once, the stakes will be undoubtedly high for whichever composition of the USMNT Pochettino ultimately leans on.

There is time on the clock for the USMNT to be the best versions of themselves come 2030, and yet, time is of the essence. Over the course of the last three games, the U.S. team's first-timers appear to be good fits for Pochettino's high-intensity, attack-minded style of play, while Julian Hall and Cavan Sullivan have made as good a case as any that they mix in with the senior players well. Each would occupy unique -- and much desired -- spots in the attacking player pool, while Diego Kochen is an early leader in the race to see if the USMNT will have a different starting goalkeeper in 2030.

The group of newcomers will likely rotate in and out of the senior national team over the next four years, much as a batch of their more experienced teammates will as Pochettino begins a fascinating balancing act that will play out on the road to 2030. Their ability to adapt quickly to their new surroundings, though, comes not a moment too soon.

"Big credit to the senior players in the way that they welcomed the new players," Pochettino said. "The young players, they were so smart … in the way that they needed to behave. I think they listened [to] the senior players, they listened [to] the coaching staff and I think they behaved really well."

Pochettino teases rotation against Canada

Though Pochettino relished the chance to establish the foundation of a new four-year cycle with a camp that stretched two-plus weeks, he has spent much of the international window discussing load management and said it would play a role in his team selection against Canada. He has also been critical of the schedule U.S. Soccer set for the fall friendlies, which he and his coaching staff were not involved in.

"We will do some changes, but we are going to try to manage the load of the players, of course, but we feel the responsibility with the clubs that the players belong [to]," Pochettino said. "All these types of situations with four games, being in Atlanta, going to Orlando; Orlando [to] Atlanta; Atlanta [to]] St. Louis; St. Louis [to] Arizona; and yesterday, more than two hours delayed and the plan arrived late. We changed a little bit the plans for yesterday and today, and then [we] come here to Minnesota. It's not easy, but what I can tell you is that the behavior of the players, the energy of the players, the mentality, the commitment are amazing."

Nine players have averaged 45 minutes or more per game during the international window, all of them starters against Mexico, while Sullivan falls just one minute short of that mark thus far. It seems entirely plausible that Pochettino rotates out most, if not all, of the starters from Saturday's win, offering a handful of players the chance to truly impress before they return to their clubs midweek.

The goalkeeper position will be one of focus for the foreseeable future, especially since Pochettino has put a lot of effort into developing that section of the player pool. Kochen only received his first cap this fall but has been in and out of the USMNT at the start of his professional career, while Pochettino brought several young shot-stoppers along for the World Cup journey last summer in the hopes of providing them valuable experience, Kochen included. Brian Schwake could pick up his second cap against Canada while Chris Bradly, the third-string 'keeper at the World Cup, is also looking for more reps with only two caps under his belt. Slowly but surely, they will try to unseat World Cup starter Matt Freese en route to the 2030 tournament.

Campbell, meanwhile, remains the only uncapped player after dealing with a small injury for the first two games of the international break. He has trained fully since Thursday but did not come off the bench against Mexico.

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