When I Was Young I Didn't Think About It, Now I Can't Get It Out of My Mind

Everyone, I have heard your cries, and because I am benevolent, I will heed them with no further delay. I can sense that you have been missing something in your lives that have made them more drear than usual.

That something, my friends, is Liverpool F.C.

I now realize that I have neglected to chronicle the 2007-2008 journey of the Reds since Friday, December 21. Thus, I give you what you have come here seeking...

One week ago at Anfield, Liverpool opened 2008 with a disappointing 1-1 draw with Wigan Athletic. Fernando Torres continued his goal-scoring exploits with the 10th goal of his inaugaral Premier League campaign, but a goal by Wigan's Titus Bramble against the run of play secured a draw for the Latics.

This past Sunday, the Reds played their first match in this season's FA (Football Association) Cup against the Hatters of Luton Town. I'm not really sure why they are called "the Hatters" because no one on their team played wearing a hat, but I digress.

As the world's oldest football competition, the FA Cup presents fans with David-Goliath matches between the largest and smallest clubs in England. In the early rounds, a Premier League club like Liverpool will take on clubs in the English minor leagues, such as Luton Town, which is currently in League 1 (the English equivalent of Double A in reference to the Premier League's status).

Just as smaller schools often pull off shocking upsets each year in March Madness, many League One and Championship (equivalent of AAA) squads manage to pull off one or two big upsets each year against Premier League sides that are simply overwhelmed by the determination of their lower-tier opponents.

Although Liverpool came close to suffering this fate, they, unlike Merseyside neighbors Everton (1-0 losers at home against League One's Oldham Athletic), have lived to fight another day after narrowly escaping Luton Town with a 1-1 draw courtesy of a goal from Peter Crouch in the 72nd minute. Three minutes after Crouch's goal, Liverpool midfielder John Arne Riise slid a bit too aggressively into a challenge and unintentionally directed a Luton Town player's cross past Reds' backup keeper Charles Itandje and into the back of the net for an own goal. Thankfully, this is not Medellin, Columbia, and Riise will not be brutally gunned down upon his arrival back in Liverpool.

The FA Cup works on a replay system that forces teams to play a second match at the opponent's home pitch if the first match ends in a draw. The Reds will take on the Hatters next Tuesday, the 15th, at Anfield for the right to move on the 4th Round of this year's FA Cup.

It's not exactly an ideal situation for a Premier League side to need a replay to advance against a League One opponent, but if there is anything that I have learned in one year of following Liverpool, it is that they rarely enjoy doing things the easy way.