Morris helps U.S. get Olympic qualifying off to fast start against Canada

It took all of 34 seconds for a new incarnation of the Under-23 United States men's national team to purge the ghosts of the last one. Because that's all the Americans needed to bag the opening goal in their 3-1 defeat of Canada in the teams' first qualifier for the 2016 Summer Olympics on Thursday.

You may recall that in March 2012, the U.S. failed to even emerge from the group stage in this same CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament. The much-hyped Yanks of that generation lost to Canada 2-0 in the group stage and then gave up a 94th-minute equalizer to El Salvador that saw to it that they never even reached the game that would decide their qualification.

It was a performance that has lived in ignominy, as that fateful day saw to it that the Americans failed to qualify for the Olympics for a second time in three editions. Consequently, an entire class of prospects missed out on a formative experience, and so it's unsurprising that of that 20-man team, only four players have consistently been in the senior national team picture – two of whom are goalkeepers.

[FC Yahoo: Look back on United States vs. Canada as it happened]

But before a paltry crowd in Kansas City – the sort of turnout that makes you wonder if it would have been better to hold the game literally anywhere else – a revelatory Jerome Kiesewetter was dispatched up the right flank within half a minute or so. He dropped a cross right onto the head of Jordan Morris, who had slipped between two oblivious defenders and nodded home the simple opener.

Kiesewetter would remain a menace. Twice in the first half and once again in the second, he would be stunted by three fine saves from Maxime Crepeau, denying what could well have been a hat trick for the Berlin-born forward. Paired with Morris's All-American combination of speed and power and supplied with the sterling service emanating from the feet of Emerson Hyndman, this trio was a handful.

Still, after the early lead for the USA, the game would remain a fairly even one. If the Americans slightly edged the first half, the Canadians emerged from the locker room with a new urgency and zeal after the break, pinning their opponents back. When the Americans threatened this time around, it was against the run of play.

But Wil Trapp nevertheless picked up an inexplicable turnover from Samuel Piette in midfield in the 73rd minute and immediately clipped a ball over the top for Morris to run onto. The Stanford University man held off a defender and coolly slipped his second past Crepeau.

Canada would get what it deserved, even though the Americans were complicit in the goal that reopened the game. In the 81st minute, a corner was clipped on by Michael Petrasso with a backwards header at the near post. Goalkeeper Zach Steffen, who had an assured showing, had no chance to parry it because an unforgivable lapse in marking gave Petrasso his open header from just a few feet out.

In injury time, Kiesewetter was brought down in the Canadian box and Luis Gil converted the penalty to register the final score.

And so the Americans negotiated an early hurdle on the road to Brazil with relative ease. Further Group A games will follow against Cuba and Panama – who tied 1-1 earlier in the day – on Saturday and Tuesday, respectively. Then, if all goes according to plan, the USA will play another semifinalist from Group B for a place at the Olympics on Oct. 10.

If the U.S. builds on Thursday's form, it should reach the Games for just the second time in 16 years

Leander Schaerlaeckens is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @LeanderAlphabet.