Goa = Soccer Paradise

I just got back from spending a weekend in South Goa with Vanita. If Calcutta is a "Football Heaven" then Goa is definitely a "Football Paradise." Goa is a former Portuguese colony located in southwest India just south of Mumbai. It’s a place full of beaches, great seafood, tourists and soccer fields. I’m not sure whether it is the Portuguese influence, great weather or luck of the draw, but  football is everywhere in this place. We went on a drive through some villages and along the way we asked our cab driver to stop at every football field so we could take pictures and run around like kids. There are 3 professional clubs in Goa and we actually ended up seeing one of them, Salgocar de Goa, at the airport coming back from losing to Chirag United in Calcutta. We also ran into former Rapids and Salgocar de Goa coach Tim Hankinson. It was interesting discussing the state of soccer in India with someone who has experience in both MLS and the I-league. I’m going to throw it out there, but I wouldn’t mind working in football in south Goa someday. In the meantime, I don't mind a trip down there every few months. 

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