Earlier this month saw the United States men’s team qualify for World Cup 2002 – as did England. Days later, Liverpool were eliminated from the Worthington Cup (League Cup) which they won last year as part of their "Treble" season.

So what?

Well, it’s the circumstances behind those happenings that make soccer the great game it is.

England just managed to scrape a tie against Greece courtesy of a great David Beckham free kick goal in injury time, which capped a great David Beckham all-round performance, magnified by a lackluster England team showing. At the same time, Germany could only manage a 0-0 tie at home against Finland. Who could have forecast a come-from-behind English tie and the Germans not delivering at home?

The United States faced a must-win game against Jamaica in Boston and the prospect of another must-win game at Trinidad and Tobago in November. The American team just managed the win 2-1, but qualified. Why? Because Honduras, who had been producing all sorts of impressive results in recent months, lost 1 – 0 at home to Trinidad & Tobago. T & T hadn’t won a game in eight previous attempts in the final CONCACAF round of qualification play. The November game for the US now becomes academic while Mexico and Honduras fight in Mexico City for the last COCACAF berth for World Cup 2002.

Liverpool at home to Grimsby Town – who? – lost 2- 1 to a team Liverpool Reserves would have been expected to beat handily.

So it’s a funny old game and that’s the part of the fascination and fun. And I guess that’s what keeps all of us so motivated by the game. The greatest challenge for players and coaches is to create a situation where a team produces high-level performances consistently. And we all know perpetual soccer consistency will never be achieved.

Grimsby Town 2 Liverpool 1