When watching the match just isn’t enough, soccer fans turn to the media for news, features, and access to their favorite players and teams. We read prematch material, we watch Twitter feeds, we click on every transfer rumor, we read post-match material, we look for quotes from players and managers, and we listen to opinions to see if what we saw aligns with the thoughts of trusted experts.

Most of this information and content comes from journalists and pundits who make careers out of finding information and sharing it with fans.

If you’re like me, sometimes when you think of a sports reporter, you think of the old cliche of a man with a “press” card stuck in a reporter hat and a cigarette in his mouth waiting outside the baseball stadium to chat with a succinct and reticent player. We all know it’s not exactly like that anymore (if it ever was like that), and having gotten to know some soccer reporters through podcasting with FC Dallas, I thought I’d try and get to the bottom of what it’s actually like to do that job both here, and in the UK.

So, to help me tell the story, I reached out to a journalist who I found from my own consumption of soccer news and opinion (at This Is Anfield). He lives in the UK and either reports on or has reported on all of the major leagues in Europe. He even reported on MLS for a few seasons. His name is Karl Matchett.

I asked Karl about how he got started, the feelings towards MLS in the UK, his ups and downs, why he writes for multiple outlets, and much more.

You can find Karl on Twitter as @KarlMatchett

Music: Avicii – Fade Into Darkness (Instrumental Radio Mix)