The threatened late-afternoon thunderstorms predicted for Melbourne last Friday afternoon teasingly held off until just after the 7:36pm kick-off at South Melbourne's Bob Jane Stadium, then arrived with a vengeance, threatening to cause an early end to the match in a particularly fierce ten minute period just after half-time.
By then, with almost all of the estimated 4,000 crowd huddled under the welcome shield of the grandstand's roof and taking as much interest in the elements as the match, South Korea was one goal up following a 25th minute opportunist goal from Ki-Hyeon Seul.
Seul had stolen in behind Chris Coyne after a long diagonal ball had been played from just inside the half. Aided by the wind, it had carried over Coyne who had to turn and so did not notice Seul's late run and the consequent potential for danger. Seul's finish from seven metres was never going to be stoppable despite Joe Didulica's valiant attempt.
Conditions were difficult even then - just minutes before, Olyroo captain Brett Emerton had conceded a corner from near the half-way line - and there was to be little opportunity for the teams to play a coherent passing game.
But this was to prove little disappointment to spectators, as what then transpired was football's equivalent of one-day cricket - uncultured graft and slog in the teams' attempts to get the better of the conditions. There would be no profit in attempting fine touches or delicate play.
Just before the break, Seul received a clever cut back from Hyo-Yeon An who had got to the bye-line. Seul's shot was deflected for a South Korea corner. Given the peculiar nature of the match, it should have been no surprise that this would then result in the Olyroos' most convincing attacking moment.
The corner was quickly cleared to Mile Sterjovski who rapidly made ground up the left, choosing the moment precisely for his incisive cross to Jason Burns with the visitors' defence hopelessly stretched. Burns' shot hit the angle of the crossbar and the post when a goal was the more deserved outcome.
The storm increased in intensity during the break with most areas of the pitch now under water. And then things got worse.
Five minutes into the second half, referee Mark Shield held lengthy separate discussions with both coaches as a wall of water descended. Visibility was minimal, even if the players could keep their eyes open given that the horizontal rain was stinging as it hit.
Olyroo coach Raul Blanco said "The referee said to me that he thought it was dangerous to play in those conditions because he felt that the players were not able to see. He said to me 'Do you want to carry on, or wait a little bit longer and then we'll discuss the issue again?'. I said 'You're the boss, and you make the decision'. I thought at that time, even if it was very heavy rain, it didn't look that the players could (see each other).
"You didn't want to put the welfare of the players at risk. I said to him 'Whatever the decision you want to take', and he said he would play a little bit longer and if thought it wasn't good enough he would stop the game for ten minutes. But he was the boss and I left it to him."
South Korea's Jung-Moo Huh, speaking through a translator, said: "We told the referee that we would agree to the decision of the Australian team. He asked us for the seond time to stop the match for ten minutes, then continue (later). We said 'Let's see for a while, then either (abandon the match completely) or continue'."
Whilst these touch-line negotiations were proceeding in the driving rain, an enterprising television technician attempted to intervene, clutching a microphone and seeking to have a few words with the referee for the television audience. He was brusquely waved away by the sodden official.
So the match continued, although the football was over. And the spectacular lightning over the city skyline kept the good-spirited crowd amused rather as does a New Year's eve fireworks display.
But there were isolated incidents which reminded us we were there for a sporting contest. Joe Didulica increased his reputation with a penalty save after Coyne brought down An, who himself took the spot-kick.
Midway through the second half, Michael Curcija found his way through the swamp to turn Jae-Won Sim, only to launch his shot over.
With the clouds exhausted, and just as it seemed the second Olyroo Challenge would conclude as did the first, with South Korea winning 1-0, Sinozic managed to put the ball over Didulica in a fittingly bizarre end to a totally surreal evening.