Published July 22, 2010

Hi, sports fans. No doubt you heard about or saw the “am I dreaming this?” soccer game at Fenway Park last night. Reporter Curt Nickisch and photographer-intern Jeremy Bernfeld went and had a ball. Here’s what they brought back. –AP

I promise to talk about Scott Brown, soccer and Fenway Park in this post, and it’s all going to make sense. Mostly.

More than 32,000 fans attended the first “Fenway Football Challenge” Wednesday night at America’s most beloved ballpark. I am a soccer fan and I’ve been to a bunch of Red Sox games at Fenway, so I have to tell you, it was really weird, in a really good way.

Starting with the crowd outside before the game: There was a bagpiper playing jigs for tips. The usual Sox caps were out in force, but they were worn by folks in the green-and-white striped jerseys of Celtic Football Club. The Scottish club’s opponent, Sporting Clube de Portugal, drew a lot of fans from New Bedford and Fall River.

This uncanny rendezvous of the global sport and America’s favorite pastime had Garrett Quinn smiling big. The hardcore soccer fan used to work in Fenway concessions in high school.

“I just can’t get over it,” he said. “The way they’ve set it up. I never thought I’d see a soccer game at Fenway.”

Neither did I. The field stretched from the bullpens to the third-base dugout. The pitcher’s mound was flattened for the sod that covered the infield dirt. Instead of the grounds crew coming out to rake between the top and bottom of innings, they came out between the first and second half to fill in divets.

[pullquote]I am a soccer fan and I’ve been to a bunch of Red Sox games at Fenway, so I have to tell you, it was really weird, in a really good way.[/pullquote]

Instead of heralding the seventh-inning stretch, that familiar Fenway voice announced: “A yellow card caution has been issued…” The crowd sang “Sweet Caroline” over the echoes of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from the standing-room Celtic supporters.

And if there was ever a soccer cheer made for Boston, it’s, “Let’s go Cel-tic!” (No s.)

Judging from the laughs and cheers, Fenway fans were falling under the spell of the fever pitch. Well, at least one did, running out onto the field in the 90th minute, only to be blindsided and flat out leveled by security. Finally, real American football tackling on the soccer pitch.

And perhaps in the silliest twist of all, the captain of Celtic FC was Scott Brown. Not the senator, but a burly, slide-tackling Scottish midfielder. “Where’s the truck?,” chanted some loopy folks in behind the Celtic goal.

The game didn’t count for much more than a trophy, but the crowd didn’t mind. Fans almost seemed more gleeful to see wayward strikes sail into the dugout or bullpens rather than the back of the net. The Green Monster scoreboard even put up check marks and X’s for made and missed penalty kicks, which decided the match after regulation ended 1-1.

Celtic FC won on PK’s and takes the trophy for the first “Fenway Football Challenge.” Based on fan fun levels last night, you have to think there’ll be a second and a third.

What do you think about soccer at Fenway? Were you there — or watching on TV? Are you scared these chumps chewed up the grass for more outfielders to trip over? Will Bob Kraft see the urban appeal and build a soccer stadium in Somerville? Share your thoughts in the comments.