1. ESPN FC Soccer & World Cup
(ESPN FC Soccer & World Cup)
The ESPN FC Soccer & World Cup app is a great resource for news about the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In addition to scores and news, this app captures the great sense of drama that great World Cup coverage should have.
- Download ESPN FC Soccer & World Cup for iPhone here.
- Download ESPN FC Soccer & World Cup for Android here.
- Up-to-the-minute scores and informative videos
- Twitter integration pulls in info about Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, and Liverpool
- Get news on the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, Europa League, European Championships, and more
- Add or remove features to customize your experience
- Keeps you abreast of rumors and transfer news
- Some features are US-only
- Too many ads
- App feels laggy at times
- Boring, cluttered interface
- Requires iOS 7.0 or later
Check out the video above to see SecondMic featured at DreamIt Austin 2014 Demo Day.
SecondMic is an app that allows fans, former players, teams, and sports reporters to provide alternative live commentary for sporting events. The app features great commentaries from comedians, sports reports, and other sports experts for all kinds of live events, including the World Cup. You can check out the SecondMic team’s World Cup predictions on their blog.
Pros:
- Ideal for people who are bored with traditional sports commentary
- Get commentary that suits your interests and personality
- Wide array of commentators
- App is simple to use
- Users can become broadcasters themselves
- Does not appear to be available for Android
- Requires iOS 7.0 or later
- Depending on your home audio setup, the audio commentary may be too quiet or cumbersome to arrange
- Great for World Cup coverage, but limited coverage for certain sports or entertainment events
- Won’t appeal to people who prefer to watch sports alone, without a social aspect
(FIFA)
The official FIFA app is a must-have for any serious World Cup fan. It’s packed with info about players, leagues, and the FIFA organization itself. In addition, it has a great interface that is intuitively designed.
Pros:
- Great UI
- Extensive FIFA Tournament Coverage
- Follow live coverage
- Score updates for 102 of the world’s top leagues
- Tons of photos and videos
- Some Android users have complained about frequent app crashing
- Some users have reported delays with the news section
- Limitations on the number of leagues you can follow
- A few users have reported issues with calendar sync
- Some users find that certain teams are getting too little coverage
Tired of waiting between matches to see some great action? Put yourself in the game with FIFA 14 by EA Sports. The game includes officially licensed 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil national teams, kits, and even the Adidas Brazuca ball. If you want a video game that fully captures the spirit of the World Cup, this is it.
Pros:
- Features 33 leagues, over 600 licensed teams, and more than 16,000 players
- Listen to commentaries in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish
- Solid graphics
- Intuitive controls
- Every injury, suspension, and change in team form is reflected in-game
- Requires at least 1.35GB of free space on your device
- Some users have lost their squads after updating
- Some users have experienced EXP bugs
- Doesn’t sync with console version of the game
- Some features/modes feature IAP
This live wallpaper and clock widget app for Android users is really cool. Every time you unlock your device, this app plays a short animation that flies you straight into Maracanã Estádio’s center circle, revealing the official match ball.
Pros:
- Select between 32 qualifying countries
- Cool audio notifications for texts, email alerts, and missed calls
- Inlcudes custom clock widget
- Time of day and weather detection in Maracanã Estádio
- Easy controls for “kicking” the ball on the screen
- Not available for iOS devices
- May get repetitive to all but the most fervent footie fans
- Some users have reported freezes
- Only five footballs can be on the screen at once
- Does take up a good chunk of space, uses a lot of battery
