When you pick a team because of who is playing for them now, that tells me you'll pick a different team four years from now, because rosters change--especially in MLS. So in that case, it doesn't really matter who you pick, because you don't have to stick with your decision. Now if I were going to pick a team (if I hadn't already), then I'd look more at their long-term situation. Because I know they're going to lose players here, gain players there, it's a fact of life that players come and go, so I can't base my decision on that. When I make a pick, it's for keeps, because I don't know about you, but I kind of subscribe to the importance of that "loyalty" thing. Since I don't live in an MLS city either, then I have the same predicament. Kansas City is closest to me geographically, but there's no affinity I have with them. They're in a different state, and they are no more special from my perspective, than any other city. The city a team represents is important to me, like if I had to move there, would I want to? Would I enjoy living there, generally speaking? If the answer is yes, then that could be my MLS team. Since I don't want to ever live in California, I'm not going to pick a California-based team to root for. But if I had to live in Chicago, I think I'd like it there, as I've been there many times, so Chicago could be my team. But I chose New York Red Bulls for a myriad of reasons. Firstly, I love big cities, and you can't do much better than that. I love different cultures, and you can't to better than that. I love trains, and they have subways and commuter trains and the whole gamut. I love beautiful stadiums, and the one they are building looks fantastic in the renderings. And it's going to be accessible by public transit, which I think is a great thing for them. And they're building a first-class training facility. So in the end, they'll have easily one of the best infrastructures in MLS. As for will that convert into winning on the pitch or not, well, however well your team is doing now, future success is not guaranteed, because your genius GM may leave for greener pastures, and your next one may not be as good. Things change in personnel all the time. But there is more permanence to the infrastructure, so that's why I base my choice more on that.
Please pick Red Bulls to be your team---we need all the fans we can get right now, and honestly the team that is being put on the field is not bad. We are a team that will have a great future. Thank you so much.
Email the teams. Explain your situation. See who writes back with the best answer. Remember: you don't choose your team, it chooses you. So let them choose.