With the Thursday launch of MLS MatchDay 2010, the new official MLS app for iPhone and iPod touch now available from the iTunes store, we thought it would be a good time to countdown the best apps on the market for the soccer aficionado.
It doesn’t matter if it’s engrossing gaming, match highlights, news or live broadcasts that you’re looking for, like the saying goes, “There’s an app for that.” Check out the top 5 iPhone/iTouch apps for soccer fans.
KickSwerve
Originally released in 2009, the single-player game KickSwerve is to soccer what Golden Tee was to golf: simple, fun and highly addictive. In this game there is no defending, goal keeping or passing, only the pure joy of sending and endless stream of brashly-bent free kicks into the back of the net.
KickSwerve features a training mode with a Crossbar Challenge and Tyre Targets to help you hone the perfect curling free-kick, but it’s the Main Game, with a robust offering of 75 different free-kick scenarios, that is the main attraction. And with multi-angle replays, you can relive your set-piece glory all over again before attempting to repeat the feat. KickSwerve is the kind of “time suck” that never grows old a la Minesweeper; a definite must-have app.
FIFA 11
Making the big daddy of console soccer games work on the smallest of screens has always been a challenge. How do you adapt a button-heavy gaming experience that is best enjoyed on a wide-screen to fit into the palms of your hands? Simple – by eliminating a few buttons.
With FIFA 11 for iPhone and iPod Touch, EA Sports has finally delivered a mobile soccer experience that doesn’t feel truncated. Nor does it feel like a clumsy port of its PS3 or Xbox 360 cousins. With the ability to make attacking runs with the swipe of a finger, pass to a teammate by touching him and dole out stylish skill moves with a simple double-tap of the screen, this year’s pocket-sized version of the venerable footie franchise feels like the real deal. And speaking of real, did we mention that it features the real teams, crests and players from 24 leagues from around the world? Need we say anything else?
Fox Soccer Channel
Let’s face it: There will be a time when you will not be in front of the TV to watch some big Premier League game or other. Even worse, you can’t watch a crucial Champions League match because Tuesday afternoon isn’t exactly the easiest time to get away to the pub for two hours. This is where the app from Fox Soccer Channel can be a lifesaver.
Sure, the free version of the FSC app features the latest Barclays Premier League and UEFA Champions League news along with fixtures and live scores of all matches, but it’s the paid version of the app that really shines. With your upgrade you get live streaming of every single EPL and UEFA Champions League match from Foxsoccer.tv plus access to in-game highlights, stats, team lineups and more. So no more missed matches due to Saturday morning dentist’s appointments or Wednesday afternoon meetings ... just be sure the boss doesn’t catch you.
BigSoccer
Need to stay connected to a heated debate about promotion/relegation while on the go? Or perhaps you’re searching for the latest transfer season rumor but there’s no computer in sight. With the BigSoccer app, you can now troll the No. 1 collection of soccer message boards on the Internet without being tied to your computer. You can also get live scores, tables, fixtures and news from leagues worldwide. So come for the debates, stay for the results.
MLS MatchDay 2010
This is it, MLS fans. You asked for an iPhone app and you finally got one (and it’s free, too). Featuring individual highlights just minutes after they happen, complete game highlights, live scores & play-by-play of every game and video channels, including web staples like the AT&T Goal of the Week and The Daily, MLS MatchDay 2010 offers the most complete collection of MLS-centric content of any app on the market.
Personalization is one of the key features of MLS MatchDay 2010 and the app offers users the ability to customize the experience for quick access to their favorite club’s news, photos, rosters, and scores. You can even select your club’s chant to play when you open the app, and tell your friends about it via integrated Facebook commenting afterward.
Not bad for a freebie, eh?
