What's on the Android Market for Soccer?

Before I launch into this post, this is a post purely targeted at Android phone users, particularly fans of Best Android Downloads. I thought as an iPhone owner I should understand more about the dark side because I am thinking of getting one of the new Samsung handsets this year. Note that all links go to the Android Market - enjoy!

Football apps for mobile and tablets fall into 2 broad categories: keeping up to date with fixtures/results/news and games. I think as football fans we know where to go to see how our team have done. Whether its the Beeb, Sky Sports News or the popular free ESPN app we now what to do on our touchscreens when its 17:00hrs on a Saturday early evening. Most clubs have their own apps for up to date match previews and player interviews, mostly free.

This post however is about soccer playing apps. I ventured into the world of the Android Market to find the top 3 best free and top 3 best paid soccer apps and this is what I found:

Top 3 soccer game android apps - paid

PES 2012 Android app

1. PES 2012 (link)

I have downloaded Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 on iPhone and after borrowing a friend's HTC phone to play this I was equally impressed. OK so it's free on iPhone (for a lite version) and a couple of bucks on Android, so what. Great integration with Facebook for social gaming and most importantly incerdible touch screen gameplay for those boring moments on the train. For the soccer gamer pros.

FIFA 10

2. FIFA 10 (link)

EA Sports know the score with what a good mobile game needs to be. Simply menus, nice positive feel when controlling the players and passing is really nice. PES looks nicer but there's not alot in it gameplay wise.

RF 2012 Android app

3. Real Football 2012 (link)

Great value for a dollar. Really sociable format and nice smooth gameplay. I quite like the graphics of this one too, a bit old school in places but this is a great smartphone rival for Konami and EA Sports.

Top 3 soccer game android apps - free

run Football Android app

1. run Football (link)

run Football is my favourite free soccer app on Android. It is a Football Manager game that is super addictive and particularly good for people that are happy to get their friends involved in social gaming/multiplayer. Takes me back to the days of Champ Manager!

Football Kicks Anrdoid app

2. Football Kicks (link)

With over 7 million downloads, this is superb footballing fun with an unorthodox format. Positive feeling gameplay where spin and pace help you master the perfect free kick. Becks eat your heart out. Chip over the wall, bend around it, get a posh new haircut - lots of fun!

Pocket Soccer Anrdoid app

3. Pocket Soccer (link)

Old school and addictive. Pocket Soccer has an overhead view, 'kick off' style (going back a few years there) and is highly popular on Anrdoid. It's beauty is its simplicity, by far the most old school game listed in this article. Nice and light memory wise. If it was an addictive top 3 this would rank #1! 

AC Milan 4 Arsenal 0 Champions League 15th February 2012

Before launching into my Champions League match analysis of AC v Arsenal I must apologise for the lack of blogging recently, no excuses are worthy of even beginning to type when you claim to be 'BlogFootball' on Twitter!

So Arsenal made the glamorous journey to the San Siro this evening to play AC Milan in the Champions League for the first leg of their last 16 tie. In recent seasons, Arsenal's total football style has made mincemeat of most opponents, with only Barcelona and possibly Manchester United blocking them from being champions in terms of form. However no Nasri and no Fabregas has made Arsenal less formidable in Europe. That said, their league form is decent at the moment (Van P = goal machine) and going into this game they would be relatively confident of being able to 'park the bus' at the San Siro. But under Wenger, have Arsenal ever been capable of parking the bus?

AC Milan have bought well. Ibrahimovic, Robinho, Van Bommel, Boateng : the nucleus of a superb AC Milan team. AC started very strongly with Arsenal looking a bit static in defensive areas, only the Verminator looked capable of dealing with the movement and attacking play from the home team. In the 16th minute, after some decent possession AC Milan bagged one with ex Tottenham man Kevin Princes-Boateng scoring an absolute screamer (if you didn't see it, You Tube it).

Arsenal's retort to AC Milan's first goal wasn't really good enough, as the Gunners couldn't get behind Milan's defensive line. In the 38th minute, Robinho scored after some great pass and move from AC Milan. Milan kept the ball very well and Arsenal's midfield couldn't penetrate to get the ball through into advanced areas for Van Persie or Theo Walcott. A frustrating first half for Arsenal but is more that AC Milan were good than Arsenal were bad. 2-0 at the break was definitely a fair reflection of the match, it could have easily been 3 or even  4 to the home team.

Wenger had to make the change: Theo Walcott for Thierry Henry. The perfect setting for the genius Frenchman to galvanise the younger Gooner players and provide that extra bit of magic. Straight away he provided nice link up play and Arsenal were just getting going when Ibrahimovic linked up with Robinho and score from outside the box with a fantastically placed strike finding the bottom right hand corner of the Arsenal net. 3-0 down, ouch.

Arsenal showed character and determination but AC Milan looked really impressive in all areas, better than they've looked in years. The second half was pretty much the same story as the first half, both teams locked in midfield battle but Milan were first to the ball most of the time and also showed more determination to get the ball back. 

In the 65th minute, Van Persie hit a nice on target volley that worked the Milan goalkeeper to tip it around his post. This was Arsenal's first real chance of the game and was shortly followed by a substitution where Chamberlain came on for Arsenal as Wenger went more 'kitchen sink' than 'park the bus'. You might as well go out fighting. 

In the 69th minute, Boateng came off. The damage had been done but I couldn't help but think that the Arsenal midfielders would have been relieved to see the industrious Boateng go off. Still, this was a team performance by Milan, dominating Arsenal in all areas. There were notable performances by Antonini, Ibrahimovic, Robinho and Boateng.

In the 77th minute, Djourou brought Zlatan Ibrahimovic down in the penalty area (I thought it was a pen, but I am a Spurs fan!) and Ibrahimovic netted the penalty to make it 4-0.

In the 84th minute, Van Persie headed on target - decent header, decent save. Just not Arsenal's night, unfortunately it would be a miracle if Arsenal progress into the last 8. The San Siro was virtually silent for the last 5 minutes, Arsenal fans must have felt battered tonight but AC Milan would have tested any major European team this evening.