The Red Bulls team that will take the field is younger than last season’s, and Marsch has fashioned a pressing style intended to create turnovers. Without discipline, the tactic can be risky and susceptible to counterattacks, but the style is a sign of the club’s new approach.

The Red Bulls’ biggest move in the off-season was the addition of Sacha Kljestan, an experienced midfielder who cycles in and out of the United States national team picture. If nothing else, the signing shifted the dynamic away from star players like Henry, a sublime talent who was given the freedom to roam freely on the field. Kljestan is not a star on Henry’s level, but he is a workhorse with experience in the Champions League and a perfect fit in Marsch’s system.

“Everyone on this team is all in,” Kljestan said. “If you’re not all in, you can go away.”

The start has turned down the volume on a protest movement that continues to press for the team to be sold.

“While the Petke firing was no doubt a catalyst for many people to finally display their frustration with ownership, the reality is that there has long been an undercurrent of anti-Red Bulls sentiment within a fairly significant portion of this fan base,” said Matthew Rappo of Brooklyn, a spokesman for the #RedBullOut movement.

A protest planned for the home opener did not fully materialize, however, and given the team’s strong start — three wins and two draws in five games — it may be hard to justify the angst directed at team leadership. Management opponents also face what seems like an uphill battle. The #RedBullOut page on Facebook had 127 followers as of Saturday; the official Red Bulls account had more than 664,000.

Even with the tumult of the off-season, the departure of Henry and a new rival in the market, New York City F.C., the Red Bulls have sold more than 10,000 season tickets this season, a team record.

“I hope maybe some of the fans who were disappointed with Petke being fired stick by the team,” Kljestan said. “If they haven’t come to some games that they will see the way we play, the way we fight for each other, the mentality, things like that. I hope they respect that.

“Jesse,” he said in reference to the team’s coach, “has said that he wants to put a team on the field that the fans will be proud of. I think through two home games, the fans should be pretty proud of the team we put on the field.”