Yes, I’ve referred to them in the headline with their formal name, Red Bull New York. I wish they’d just call themselves Red Bull New York. But next on our list continues to refer to itself colloquially as the New York Red Bulls. And yet they still reach #7. Despite all the misgivings, RBNY has created one of the best identities in MLS.

Many North Americans can’t get over the fact that the Red Bulls are named after their Austrian energy drink sponsor. But sponsor-named teams are commonplace throughout Europe, whether it be Germany’s Bayer Leverkusen or Austria’s own Red Bull Salzburg. Besides, do people really want the club to go back to their original name, the New York/New Jersey MetroStars?

There’s another factor that sells me on the sponsor: if you take it out of context and forget it’s an energy drink, both the Red Bull name and logo are quite frankly badass. The edge of charging bulls with the class of silhouettes!

An issue I do have with the otherwise great logo, though: there are a few too many Red Bulls, if you will. There’s a Red Bull logo on the badge as well as a giant Red Bull logo emblazoned on the chest. Could they just go with one or the other?

Speaking of “one or the other,” back to the Red Bull New York vs. New York Red Bulls debate for a second. The club uses Red Bull New York in the official logo, which to me is the defining point. But on the back of the jerseys, it says “Red Bulls” with an S at the end. Then the official team website is newyorkredbulls.com, but the site’s header at the top of the page is “RED BULL NEW YORK.” What to do, what to do!

When it comes to the actual uniforms, the home shirt is unchanged from last season. It features a button-up neck unique in MLS. The white shirt with red piping and red shorts, along with the yellow in the Red Bull logo, creates a distinctive look that I wouldn’t change, except for my little logo redundancy issue mentioned above. The red piping in particular stands out, because it’s a template rarely seen in any league-not just MLS.

The away shirt is new for 2011. Unfortunately, I think it’s a bit of a downgrade. Last year’s away jersey had its own nifty neck giving the shirt a bit of flair. This year’s isn’t necessarily bad, but it doesn’t stand out like its predecessor did.

All in all, for a club vying to become the “big” team in Major League Soccer, Red Bull New York’s uniforms are well on their way.