U.S. beats Puerto Rico in first Copa tune-up, but did we learn anything?

If you were hoping to learn anything from the United States taking on Puerto Rico in the national team's first game of the summer, you weren't going to. If you saw it as some kind of harbinger for the U.S.'s chances at the Copa America Centenario in June, it would have left you none the wiser. And if you viewed it as some kind of referendum on the state of the national team, that would have been entirely unfair.

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For one, just eight of the 23 Americans who will play in the Copa were available, since most are still with their clubs and Fabian Johnson and Geoff Cameron were injured. Only seven were in the starting lineup. Then there was the fact that, against weak opposition, the game was played on a bad field in the middle of an 88-degree day. It wasn't even easy to watch to glean any useful clues, courtesy of the dodgy camera work. And if you want to be pedantic, it wasn't actually an international game, since Puerto Rico is a territory of the U.S.

[ FC Yahoo: Follow Puerto Rico vs. United States as it happened ]

This was a glorified scrimmage game, one that was meant to keep those that will play at this summer's big tournament but haven't had a game in a few weeks fit. And it was a chance for younger players on the fringe, who didn't make the Copa squad but who might be of use in World Cup qualifying in the fall and going forward, to prove themselves.

All the same, the U.S. won 3-1, thanks to goals by Tim Ream, Bobby Wood and Paul Arriola.

"It's a good exercise," head coach Jurgen Klinsmann summarized the scene to FOX Sports 1 at halftime. "Obviously it's very hot, the field is very dry, the ball is not moving very well. It will hopefully help us in the long run towards Copa America."

Puerto Rico is hardly a powerhouse. Its team was composed of local players, American collegians and a few minor leaguers. Only Emmanuel D'Andrea plays in Europe, for Sevilla's C team. Still, the hosts gave good sport, limiting the Americans' chances and closing central passing avenues early on.

It took until the 20th minute for the Yanks to break the deadlock. Ream pounced on a poorly parried long shot by Alfredo Morales and popped it past goalkeeper Matthew Sanchez. It was just the second goal of Ream's senior team career, whether with his clubs or his country. However, the cameras actually failed to document the shot itself, so we may never know for sure that it actually happened.

Then, in the 34th, Wood was put through on goal by Paul Arriola. The striker, who broke out with Union Berlin this year and earned a move to Hamburg, held off two defenders and scooped Sanchez with a smooth finish.

Puerto Rico, however, would not roll over yet. Before halftime, Luis Betancur, a 21-year-old at Florida International University, placed his long shot perfectly into the U.S.'s top corner, leaving Brad Guzan without a chance.

And just after the intermission, Manolo Sanchez whipped a wide-open far post volley inches wide.

But the U.S. broke the home team's resistance in the 56th minute when Alejandro Bedoya, who was captain for the day, broke through on the right and squared for Arriola, who got a tap-in goal on his debut to add to his assist.

After that, it was mostly one-way traffic, but Sanchez denied substitutes Julian Green – finally appearing again after breaking into the team as a teenager in 2014 – and Fafa Picault, who also made his debut.

So what to make of all this?

Nothing, really. The only thing that differentiated this game from a scrimmage was that it happened in a stadium, that tickets were sold and that it was broadcasted.

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