MLS: Orlando City SC at New York Red Bulls

New York Red Bulls midfielder Sean Davis (27) heads a high ball in front of Orlando City FC midfielder Harrison Heath (8) during the first half at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. on July 13, 2016. (Vincent Carchietta | USA TODAY Sports)

HARRISON - The New York Red Bulls Homegrown Players are young, confident and they can play.

Lesser-known homegrown talents Tyler Adams and Derrick Etienne Jr. saw more time than some of their their first-team superiors in the Red Bulls' 3-0 CONCACAF Champions League victory over Antigua GFC on Wednesday night.

With Sacha Kljestan and Bradley Wright-Phillips out of the starting lineup, these weren't the Red Bulls you were looking for.

"To be out there with them was just a joy," Red Bulls defender Kemar Lawrence said after the game. "They looked confident, they wanted the ball, they wanted to play. All of us were enjoying the game and it was really fun."

Adams,17 years old, and Etienne, 19 years old, have come through the Red Bulls Academy, the Red Bulls youth system that is targeted at developing younger players. Both Adams and Etienne appeared in the 2016 Homegrown Game that preceded the MLS All-Star Game.

Five Red Bulls Academy products -- Adams, Etienne, Sean Davis, Connor Lade and Alex Muyl -- were on the field together at one point in the second half. More than half of those players aren't even old enough to buy alcohol yet but, put together, their average age is 21 years old.

The Red Bulls' young studs have a home with New York Red Bulls II -- the first team's USL affiliate. Their talent isn't being wasted as Red Bulls II is in first place in the USL Eastern Conference and, at one point, the squad was on a 12-game unbeaten streak in 2016.

Red Bulls II goalkeeper Ryan Meara and his USL teammates were called upon to contribute in Wednesday's match, and they delivered.

"Young guys like Tyler [Adams] and Derrick [Etienne], they're still in their teens," Red Bulls defender Chris Duvall told reporters after the game. "It's amazing that they're able to do what they do and go out there and, not just play with us, but to actually contribute and play well. The future is bright."

Etienne is tied for the third most assists in the USL and he shows dazzling ball handling skills whenever he's on the field. Adams scored the go-ahead goal to shock Chelsea FC in 2015, and he's a smart, promising midfielder.

For the Red Bulls Homegrown Players, it's a question of when they'll break into the first team rather than if they are good enough to do so.

Red Bulls veteran Shaun Wright-Phillips has played in the UEFA Champions League and Lawrence has played with the Jamaican national team. However, Wednesday was the first time that some of the Red Bulls players were able to experience international play.

"It's really exciting," Muyl told reporters after Wednesday's game. "The fact that it's an international competition is really cool. It's a first for me, and it's a first for a lot of the young guys. It's a really good experience."

Davis has been one of the Red Bulls Academy's best products. Davis has filled in for an injured Dax McCarty without a hitch, and he enjoyed the opportunity on Wedesday to play alongside some of the teammates he's grown and developed with the past few years.

"All of us have worked really hard," Davis said after Wednesday's match. "We've all come from the academy, we know what it takes to succeed at this club. For it all to come together like that is really special and something that we'll always remember."

The Red Bulls next CONCACAF Champions League match will be against Alianzo FC on Aug. 16. The Red Bulls will be back in MLS action with a road game against the L.A. Galaxy on Aug. 7.

Daniel Falkenheim may be reached at DFalkenheim@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Thefalkon. Find NJ.com on Facebook.