Postcard from... Capiata, Paraguay

They don’t get much smaller than Paraguay’s Deportivo Capiata — or bigger than Argentina’s legendary Boca Juniors.

So when Capiata, a football club formed six years ago in an Asuncion suburb, and with a stadium holding just 7,000 fans, beat Boca 1-0 at its famed La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires, it was a shock result for the ages.

Unfortunately for Capiata, it was just the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana, and the team must face the Argentine juggernaut again today in the second leg.

Highlighting the Paraguayan club’s small-time status, the match will be played at Luqueno stadium, which holds 27,000, because Capiata’s own stadium was deemed inadequate for such a big match.

Capiata goalkeeper Antonio Franco warned after beating Boca: “We still haven’t won a thing.”

“We got attention with a team with no international history beating Boca 1-0,” Franco added. “But football is like that. Nobody should underestimate a small rival.”

Capiata has a tiny fan-base, and everything about the club is modest: its dressing room, gym and stadium amenities. Interestingly, the club wears blue and yellow – the same colours as Boca Juniors. AP