Reporting on Soccer Culture in Philadelphia with Matt Ralph

Ever since his early days playing rec soccer in South Jersey, to his semester abroad in London watching Dennis Bergkamp bossing the pitch at Arsenal's Highbury stadium, Matt Ralph has loved the game of soccer.So it was only natural this his journalism career, initially covering a range of topics from high school sports, to politics, to crime, eventually transformed into covering the game he lives in the region he calls home - Philadelphia and South Jersey.Not many people in this rich soccer area have the perspective on the game that Matt has. After nearly 2 decades of being a fly on the wall at all levels of Philly soccer, Matt has made a significant contribution to sharing the region's soccer stories through publications such as the Brotherly Game and Philadelphia Soccer Now.On this episode of the Because Football Podcast, we discuss:* his early fandom of Arsenal and the professor who got him tickets to a match at Highbury* local Philadelphia and South Jersey soccer legends* the changing landscape of soccer and sports media and the challenges that print media faces* why context is so important when telling a storyTo connect with Matt:linkedin.com/in/matthewralphx.com/mattralphsoccerinstagram.com/mattralphsoccer