Major League Soccer is old enough that the younger players in the league don't remember a time when the league didn't exist.
Two of those players on the Chicago Fire, Brandt Bronico and Djordje Mihailovic, got to live out childhood dreams of making their MLS debuts in Saturday's 2-0 win against Real Salt Lake.
Bronico, 21, was less than 10 months old when the first MLS match was played in 1996. Mihailovic, 18, was born less than two weeks after the Fire completed its inaugural season in 1998.
Bronico replaced Nemanja Nikolic in the 85th minute of the home opener to make his first MLS appearance.
"It's an unreal feeling to have," Bronico said. "To play for an MLS side is what you dream about at night, what you daydream about in class as you're growing up. It's just an incredible feeling."
Less than a minute after entering the field Bronico received a pass from Dax McCarty, turned away from a defender and started a counter. He said his appearance was unexpected.
"Your heart is beating a little fast when you're at the line about to sub in, but you just got to believe in yourself that you can do well," Bronico said.
Chicago Fire
[MORE FIRE: Dax McCarty says Fire need to win for him to be part of the national team]
As a third round pick, Bronico entered preseason camp without the certainty of making the team. The Fire announced the Charlotte product, along with college teammate and fourth round pick Matej Dekovic, signed on Feb. 27.
"The draft, you never know what you're going to get from it," Bronico said. "Just because you get drafted doesn't mean that you're going to get signed obviously. You come in, you put your head down and you work your tail off the whole time. You do the best you can and hope for the best and make an impact."
As for Mihailovic, the academy product has been in the Fire system for four years. Saturday's brief debut, which lasted less than a minute, was a milestone for him and for the academy.
"I've been thinking of this moment my whole life and as soon as (coach Veljko Paunovic) called my name I was so excited," Mihailovic said.
"Four years ago I came to the Fire Academy for this very moment and I was thinking about it everyday I went to training with the Academy. This is what I'm preparing for and everything finally came together, what I prepared for the last four years. It was amazing."