Teams from across the globe have descended on Germany to battle for the prized World Cup, but there's another tournament that's garnered a bit of attention, that being the "fabled" Xbox Cup. Thirty-two teams from different countries are gathering in Berlin on June 29th to play EA's FIFA World Cup 2006. Each team is comprised of three people, all of which competed in their respective countries against scores of other gamers for the right to battle in an 8500 seat stadium situated in the heart of an Adidas park. The three Americans are David McLeese, Eddie Terrell, Greg Hengeli, and they were introduced to the world by USA soccer/football star Tony Meola. We had a chance to speak to Tony and got his thoughts on the U.S.' chances at defeating Italy this Saturday and the games that he enjoys playing with his family.

Meola, a New Jersey native and World Cup veteran, is rooting for the U.S. and remains optimistic about the team's chances against Italy, although he admits that it's going to be tough getting past a country that's been a soccer power house for the past several years. However, he doesn't see the game as "mission impossible" and said that the U.S. team has been steadily improving over the years, especially with soccer star Landon Donovan leading the charge. However, when I asked him who he feels will win the whole thing, he mentioned Brazil, Argentina, and the Czech Republic.

Seeing as how he's been out of World Cup action for over ten years (he made appearances in 90 and 94), I asked him if the game has changed, to which he responded that is has. Players are more athletic, a lot faster, and more passionate about the game, though when I asked him which teams gave him the most trouble, familiar names were dropped, such countries as Brazil, Argentina, and Germany, clubs that are still giving their opponents plenty of headaches to this day.

We also discussed soccer/football's passionate fans, which we both agree are the most intense of any sport, save for the U.S., which still hasn't officially caught the fever. However, Meola's hopeful that North America will become a soccer nation, and feels that it's only a matter of time before the sport gets the proper attention that it deserves.

Lastly, we discussed which videogames he plays, and I wasn't surprised when he mentioned sports titles, or most importantly, EA's games. He and his children play FIFA, Madden, and Tiger Woods, and he admits to be being pretty into them when his kids actually let him play.

Look for future announcements on the winners of the Xbox Cup, and good luck team USA! They're going to need it. Seriously.