Luque

Sunday afternoon I went to Luque, a small city 40 minutes from downtown Asunción, to see the final of a local tournament. Robert, from Fundación Dequení and a Luque native, invited me, proud to show off his local stadium. It is a nicer and newer stadium than Olimpia’s, and seems very big for the club’s size. Robert assured me that it was always full when Luque played, but I had seen a match or two on T.V. in front of fairly sparse crowds.

In play yesterday was the intra-Luque championship. Various neighborhoods and little towns in and around Luque have local teams that compete each year for the internal crown. I asked Robert which team he wanted to win and he laughed and said “I’m from Luque, remember, I just support Luque.” It emerged in conversation that people from the center of the city consider the local tournament below them, while those from outlying areas take it very seriously. All pretensions and divisions aside, most Luqueños come together to support the main Luque side, though you wouldn’t know it by the number of middle fingers and threats thrown around during yesterday’s internal. Both teams had brough marching bands, much like those at high school football games in the U.S. These dueled for control of the airwaves, leading their respective crowds in song. I am beginning to realize that there are only a few tunes and messages used by Paraguayan teams. Each club has its own version, but it is usually unique only in the strategic placement of mascot names; praising one side and questioning the sexual orientation of another depending on who happens to be singing.

The match was exciting, ending in a 2-0 victory for Herrero, which, by the magic of a points and goal differential system I do not begin to understand, meant that a penalty shootout was needed to decide the championship. The other side, whose shirts looked like Argentina’s but whose name I did not learn, won on penalties and proceeded to block the avenue immediately outside the stadium with a mini-parade. Robert took me to a bus stop and I rode home in time for dinner and a movie (Hellboy, dubbed in Spanish with Italian sub-titles) with Arturo’s family.