"When I went to the final, everyone was so excited," Esterhuizen said. "The atmosphere was electric and loud. There was screaming and shouting and laughing and the constant buzz of vuvulzelas. It was unbelievable. I've never been to anything like it. It is the greates sporting event in the world."

As a native of Florida Park, located on the outskirts of Johannesburg-where the final game took place-this past World Cup took on special meaning for Esterhuizen. The fifth-year Clarke soccer coach had the opportunity to venture back to his roots and take in his first World Cup.

Unlike the United States, Esterhuizen's birthplace is a land where soccer, rugby and cricket dominate the sporting culture. In South Africa, soccer is more than a game, it's a way of life.

"They are absolutely fanatical about soccer," Esterhuizen said. "It's on television 24/7. That's all anyone talks about-at least in my family. There's soccer and then there's cricket."

So when his brother Paul offered a ticket to the July 12 World Cup final, Esterhuizen gladly accepted the generous gift. Esterhuizen said his brother paid $1,000 apiece for the tickets, but that was nothing compared to what people were paying scalpers outside the stadium. Some were willing to pay $6,000 for a chance to watch Spain take home soccer's ultimate prize.

The soccer-crazed South African crowd came adorned in makarapas, hand-made hats carved into unique shapes and decorated in team colors, and relentlessly blew their vuvuzelas-much to the chagrin of American TV viewers. The horn-shaped noisemakers drew the ire of many who found the sound, similar to a cloud of buzzing bees, unappealing to the ears.

"I thought it would be irritating sitting around them," Esterhuizen said. "But the vuvuzelas have a cadence and a rhythm lost on TV. They add a vibrancy and character to the games. They really are a unique extra."

Esterhuizen, who originally came to the U.S. in 1976 and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, had many rooting interests in the World Cup. He had hoped for a Holland victory over Spain in the final due to Dutch family ties, but called Spain a "well-deserved" winner. Just as well, he wanted to see the Americans succeed.

"I wanted the USA to make it to the final four," Esterhuizen said. "I thought if they played up to their full potential they could have made it to the final. They're probably about the 10th best team in the world, but on any given day they can beat anyone."

No matter the winner, the experience left Esterhuizen in awe. Intimately aware of the characteristics of South Africa, he did not know if his homeland could provide the proper necessities for such a lavish event. By the time it was over, Esterhuizen's brother-who has attended four World Cups-judged South Africa to be the best host he had seen.

"I had my doubts they'd be able to pull it off," Esterhuizen said. "I thought with the infrastructure, the streets and the security, there were too many issues and challenges. I was amazed at the organization and quality. The combination of FIFA and the South African Football Association brought it together nicely."

The 2010 World Cup delighted Esterhuizen so much that he plans to attend the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

"The most extraordinary soccer thing I've ever done was going to the World Cup final with my brother," Esterhuizen said.