MLS Season Preview: New York Red Bulls

With the MLS season set to begin on Friday, theScore runs down everything you need to know about each team heading into the league's 20th campaign. Here, we examine the new-look New York Red Bulls.

The winds of change blew through New York with a fury during the offseason, and they didn't really leave much behind. 

Thierry Henry retired, Tim Cahill left for China, Jamison Olave was traded and head coach Mike Petke was sent packing. Petke’s replacement, Jesse Marsch, is more than capable of leading this team to a successful campaign - but after the Red Bulls came within one goal of the MLS Cup final last year, anything short of that will disappoint a fan base none too pleased with the coaching change.

If nothing else, the team is unified in their assertion that, as a collective, they will be able to cope without Henry in the fold.

"It’s like what Jesse said, the face of the team is the team," Sacha Kljestan, one of the newest faces, told the New York Daily News. "It’s not going to be about one guy. It’s going to be about a team that has a winning mentality, a fighting mentality that never gives up. When you see us play you’ll see that we’re a team that never gives up."

2014 season: 4th in Eastern Conference

Playoffs: Lost in Eastern Conference final (New England)

Head coach: Jesse Marsch

Stadium: Red Bull Arena

Season Opener: Sunday, March 8: Sporting Kansas City vs. New York Red Bulls (Sporting Park) - 7 PM EST

Key Arrivals

Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Felipe (Montreal Impact), Ronald Zubar (Ajaccio), Leo Stolz (SuperDraft)

Key Departures

Thierry Henry (retirement), Tim Cahill (Shanghai Shenhua), Jamison Olave (Real Salt Lake), Eric Alexander (Montreal Impact), Ambroise Oyongo (Montreal Impact)

Player to Watch: Bradley Wright-Phillips

This is your team now, big guy.

Much was made of the fact that Wright-Phillips, who won the league's Golden Boot and tied an MLS record with 27 goals last season, was not among the three finalists for the MVP award. It was seen by many as a grotesque snub for the league's most lethal scorer.

In truth, the 29-year-old Englishman's reputation was likely diminished by the presence of Henry - much of the attack ran through the Frenchman, and he was seen as the primary reason for Wright-Phillips's success. Without Henry, the former Charlton Athletic man would struggle, suggested his detractors.

Now we get the chance to find out if they were correct.

Keep an eye on: Leo Stolz

Projected Starting XI

(4-2-3-1) Luis Robles; Roy Miller, Damien Perrinelle, Ronald Zubar, Chris Duvall; Dax McCarty, Felipe Martins; Sacha Kljestan, Peguy Luyindula, Lloyd Sam; Bradley Wright-Phillips

Season in a Sentence

The lofty expectations still remain, but it's far from certain that the new-look Red Bulls have the talent to avoid taking a big step backwards this season.