Top 5 Android Apps - FIFA World Cup 2010
While the iPhone packs a great number of excellent apps for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Android holds its own and offers a plethora of choices for users who want to follow the competition. The hype is only continuing to grow as now we are less than 24 hours away from what many call the most exciting tournament on earth.
These five apps all bring something slightly different to the table, and diehard fans may consider downloading all five of them to stay informed. Even if you are just a casual follower of the World Cup, there is an Android app out there suited for you.
1. World DroidCup
This app is currently the highest downloaded for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and that comes as no surprise considering the number of features that it includes. A user can see the group listings, a competition tree and a fixtures (matches) table. In addition, there is a category within the app that allows a user to track real-time scores which obviously aren’t updated yet, but will be utilized when the games start.
One of the best features is the stadium map. The app uses Google Maps to pinpoint the locations where the games will be played. By selecting one of the map points, a user can learn the name of the stadium, the city, the capacity, and the number of matches that will be played at that location.
2. 2010 World Cup
While the name of the app isn’t anything spiffy, the 2010 World Cup app is one of the most detailed currently available on the Android market. Upon opening the app, a user can see a countdown with the number of days, hours, minutes and seconds until the first match.
The calendar is very detailed, and features flags under each date, allowing the user to know exactly who is playing without scrolling from day-to-day. From the calendar, a user can click on any day to get a detailed overview of its fixtures, including the time and location.
One caveat for the casual fans, though — the app uses three letter abbreviations for the countries, so if a user is unable to identify a country, he/she must click through to the scoring page for that fixture to identify it.
This app has an easy to digest news panel as well, allowing for the user to keep up with the latest updates throughout the tournament.
3. World Cup 2010
WC 2010 is yet another solid app that any football fan should consider downloading. The top navigation bar allows users to access the fixtures, the group standings, live updates and more options. There is also plenty of news available under the navigation.
The fixtures are set up differently than the other apps. A user can browse through each of the dates and see how many matchups are set to be played on that day. A user can expand and collapse the game days as he/she sees fit.
While it may not pack as many features as the previous two apps, it is worth downloading for the sheer amount of news content available.
4. World Cup Essentials
Any diehard World Cup fan will appreciate that World Cup Essentials packs not one, not two, but three separate countdowns for three major events in the competition: The opening concert, the kick off, and the finals. Timing aside, this app includes a plethora of information on each of the individual teams, including interesting historical information, such as a country’s biggest win(s), defeat(s) and a general background that reads like a biography.
The matches panel is also set up differently than the other apps, showing all of the fixtures by group. If you are a fan of a team in Group G or Group H, be prepared to scroll down a bit to find the fixtures list.
The one downside to this app is the awkward navigation at the top. To switch to different parts, a user must click on the tab name and then select from a list. If navigation isn’t something that bothers the Android user, this is a great download for any World Cup enthusiast.
5. Goal.com Mobile
Goal.com introduces another viable app choice for World Cup fans to consider. Upon opening the app, the user is presented with a news feed and can easily scroll across the secondary navigation bar to access live scores, teams, fixture lists, and stage standings/results. News junkies will want to check out the “Breaking” tab in the main navigation, which lists the latest stories and how long ago they were published.
Aside from World Cup content, club news is posted for the U.S. National Team, England, Mexico, Italy and Spain. Live scores are provided for each of the major football leagues around the world, and the user can access league standings under the “More” tab. While the app provides a great deal of World Cup information and updates, it is a recommended download for users who want to continue tracking world football well after the competition has ended.
