Pandemic.FIFA's Michael "michs09" LaBelle has recently been interviewed by EA Sports in regards to qualifying once again for the FIWC (FIFA Interactive World Cup) Finals, the culmination of the world's largest soccer gaming event, where he will face off against the very best of the best worldwide.

FIWC: You won the FIWC 08 live qualifiers in the US last year. How did you prepare for the tournament?
Michs09: Last year was my second FIWC live qualifier (I placed second at the 2006 regional), so I changed my preparation in hopes of gaining an advantage over my competition. Two weeks prior to the regional I stopped playing online and only played local friends offline in order to get more accustomed to LAN differences. I practiced everything from free kicks to experimenting with different camera angles. The outcome of this training prepared me perfectly for the tournament.

FIWC: What was it like to win the live tournament?
Michs09: The win was incredible; all the hard work and dedication paid off. It was almost a feeling of relief knowing when I returned home there would be no pressure on me having to compete in the FIWC online qualifier as I was already qualified for the World Final.

FIWC: What was it like at the Grand Final in Berlin last year?
Michs09: Last year was an ideal year for me. I travelled around the world to play FIFA! I was in Germany multiple times last year, for the FIWC Grand Final and also for another gaming tournament. Attending the final in Berlin was amazing and I feel so blessed to have been given these opportunities. Since then I joined TEAM PANDEMIC, a strong multi-gaming organization respected internationally in E-sports.

You can read the interview in its entirity, as well as check out insights from several other FIWC finalists, at EAFootballworld.com.