...and he duly delivered.
I so want to follow professional soccer, but I've never been able to attach to a team that isn't my home team... any advice?
I actually enjoy this kind of thing... If you're serious about it I can definitely give you some advice. For starters, if you're going Europe you should pick a team in the English Premier League, because that's the best covered European league in the States.
First, identify any aspect of the current professional organizations that you like, as well as what draws you to soccer. For example, do your favorite teams buy high priced veteran talent? Do they specialize in home-grown talent through scouting and drafts? Do you like following young players as they grow up, or would you rather try and win now? For the soccer side, do you appreciate defense, or are you goals goals goals? These can all help narrow team choices.
Also, before you pick check out the team's fan base and passion level, the home field advantage, and even the logo/uniforms if you plan on purchasing anything. You don't want to hop in on a fan base that doesn't care as much as you do. A good home field advantage is definitely something to take into account if youre choosing from scratch.
Learn a little about the history if you want to get invested in a team too, because then you'll feel more connected. Imagine a Celtics fan who never heard of Larry Bird or Bill Russell... Same way with soccer. Ask the Man U fans on this board what they think of a Man U fan who doesn't know George Best, Eric Cantona, or Peter Schmiechel. As a Newcastle fan, anyone who supports Newcastle and doesn't know Alan Shearer should probably take up knitting.
When Simmons tried this a few years ago, he said (and I never thought of it but its a good idea) choose a team that could double as a vacation spot if you felt so inclined.
Hopefully this helps, but more likely it's just ramblings
I enjoy talking about this stuff though.