To lighten the Red Bulls’ playoff expectations, Jesse Marsch branded his team as the underdogs of the Eastern Conference three weeks ago after they clinched the sixth seed against Vancouver. It was a modest label that suited some fresh faces while also the holdovers from past playoff failures.

For the first time in eight-straight playoff appearances, the Red Bulls come in as true underdogs. But their strong ending to the season, which included strong results against postseason teams Vancouver and Atlanta, showed a team finally healthy and together, a refined yet scrappy bunch clicking at the right time.

Their first – and possibly only test – comes Wednesday night against third-seeded Chicago Fire at Toyota Park (8:30 p.m.; FS1) in a MLS Playoffs first-round knockout game .

“In previous years, I think we were a little more anxious or nervous,” Marsch said about the team’s mentality entering the playoffs. “[But] this group is excited for a big challenge, excited to go after this, [and] our youthful fearlessness will pay off for us.”

That “youthful fearlessness” finally evolved over the last few months. Midfielder Sean Davis looked more dangerous on the attacking end while teenager Tyler Adams’ end-to-end fight has pegged him as the future of American soccer and arguably the Red Bulls’ most important player. Their evolution, in Marsch’s eyes, was only made possible after the Red Bulls dealt captain and veteran midfielder Dax McCarty to Chicago in the offseason.

McCarty was part of Chicago’s massive face-lift, which lofted them back in the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Along with McCarty, additions like Golden Boot winner Nemanja Nikolic (24 goals) and German World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger linked together a potent attack, while holdovers David Accam and Matt Polster benefited from the new faces.

Marsch said the Red Bulls will keep a close eye on Accam (14 goals), who can change games when given space to run. They also must account for Chicago’s adaptable play, specifically whether the Fire retain possession or opt to play long. But that’s not where the Fire’s interchangeable style ends: They’re very much a Jekyll and Hyde team, who on their best days look unbeatable but can look completely disorganized. Their record since August (6-5-2), including their 3-0 loss at Houston on Sunday, shows they lack consistency. Top that with an inexperienced postseason roster including just three players — McCarty, Juninho and Arturo Alvarez — having playoff experience all with other teams, and the Red Bulls’ seasoned veterans have the upper hand.

Six of the projected eleven Red Bulls starters have appeared in Red Bulls playoff matches together since 2015, while 14 players have at least one game of MLS playoff experience. With that experience, plus the Red Bulls’ US Open Cup finals run this year, captain Sacha Kljestan thinks they’re groomed for Chicago — and possibly more.

“We played quite a few games on the road in win-or-go-home situations, where we really dug deep and learned a lot about ourselves,” Kljestan said. “[It] will come in handy as we go through this game. If we didn’t learn anything from that experience and we fall in the playoffs, it would be heartbreaking.”

“We’ve gone through different trials and tribulations this season, from injuries to formation changes and managing different moments,” Marsch said. “I think we’re in the best moment we’ve been in all year. Truly, I feel that [our] mentality is strong.”