Leche Leche Leche!

They are very devout Catholics here in Paraguay, but contrary to common belief, the national religion here is not Catholicism, but soccer. The sport, like religion, has its divides, as well as pious followers. The uncomfortable tension that exists in a room full of Cerro and Olympia fans can feel as serious as a room full of Catholics and Protestant in Ireland, but that divide evaporates when the national team takes the field.

I was fortunate enough to attend a great game between Paraguay and Argentina last week. Cerro and Olympia fans stood side by side to share in their hatred of Argentina. Everyone in my section of the stands spent the whole game chanting extremely vulgar things in Guarani at the visitor section. The chants were all the funnier considering that none of the Argentinians would understand a single word of Guarani.

My Paraguayan friends at the game explained to me that they only act like this when they play Argentina. Many people here have told me that most South Americans feel kinship with other countries on the continent, and generally like everyone else. Brazilians, in particular, are seen as very happy and kind people. But everyone I talk to here agrees that Argentina is the exception, since they are seen as arrogant and see themselves more as Europeans than South Americans.

The national stadium is very large, though a somewhat plain setting. There are only wide concrete steps in lieu of proper seating, which doesn’t really matter when the crowd simply stands for the duration of the game. The mawkish smell of cheap beer and burning trash permeated the air and added to the gritty, no frills atmosphere. Beer isn’t actually allowed inside for reasons which are obvious to anyone who has ever seen how rowdy a soccer crowd can get. Nevertheless, it is sold surreptitiously under the pseudonym of “leche,” (Spanish for milk). This leads to the amusing scene of vendors shouting “Leche! Leche! Leche!” Such a sight could likely cause some confusion amongst tourists. As is common in soccer matches around the world, some people decided to bring flares to light on fire. However, one fan a few meters away from us had a little too much milk beer, and accidentally set some trash on fire. It turned into a fairly impressive blaze, but burning trash is nothing new to Paraguayans, and I appeared to be the only one concerned about this growing hazard; they all just shifted away from the fire, maintaining their attention to the game.

Paraguay scored a goal in the first half, and insanity in the stands ensued. The game turned brutal in the second half, and there were several yellow cards issued, as well as on red card (for Argentina). Chants of Albirroja (the nickname for the red-striped jersey of the national team) erupted, along with polite suggestions about where the Argentinian fans should stick their own jerseys. Paraguay held onto the 1-0 lead for the rest of the game. Their victory meant that they officially qualify for a spot in the World Cup next year, and that Argentina remains waiting for their own ticket to South Africa. To put into perspective just how big of a deal this was, consider this: Immediately after the game, President Lugo canceled work for all public employees the next day and declared it a national holiday.

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Tagged as: Albirroja, Argentina, Guarani, Soccer, World Cup