Best soccer songs?

This is fantastic. Over on the New York Times’ “Goal” blog, photographer John McDermott — who has covered every World Cup since 1982 — talks soccer anthems:

In the 1970s, John McDermott started taking pictures of the North American Soccer League, photographing players like George Best, Franz Beckenbauer and Pelé. He became a regular contributor to Sports Illustrated and Newsweek, and has covered every World Cup since 1982. He was a member of the FIFA Photographers Pool at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.

In his second Ultimate XI for the Goal blog, McDermott puts down the camera and grabs his headphones to listen to the tunes that make being a soccer fan anywhere in the world a treat (or not) to the ears … the best soccer songs on the planet (in order of preference).

It’s about what you’d expect — “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is #1 — but there are YouTube links and fun mini-anecdotes about each. However, through what must have been a clerical oversight, McDermott missed what must be one of the cruelest-yet-funniest soccer songs of all time: “Always Look on the Runway for Ice.” Sung to the tune of “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from Monty Python’s “The Life of Brian,” this is sung by fans of pretty much any team Manchester United plays, and refers to an incident in 1958 when a plane carrying the United team crashed on its third takeoff attempt in Munich. Twenty-three of the 44 people on board were killed.

In other exciting World Cup news, I have officially purchased tickets to see the U.S. Men’s National Team take on Costa Rica in the final World Cup qualifier. The match is Oct. 14 here in Washington, D.C., at the friendly confines of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, which I affectionately call The Bobby.


The Bobby.


Bring it.

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* Probably not; I’m sure U.S. fans will be outnumbered by Costa Rican fans.