But just as important is establishing the new Asian pecking order now that Australia is part of the Asian Football Confederation. Specifically,the Japanese are keen to make sure they make a strong pyschological point ahead of the start of the qualifying campaign for the World Cup in 2010.
The qualifiers begin next year and it is likely that at some stage Australia and Japan will cross paths en route to South Africa. The Blue Samurai are determined that the Socceroos will not stand in their way of making it to a fourth World Cup in a row.
The Japanese squad has not hidden the fact that the World Cup is their No.1 priority. Their training tops during this tournament have borne the slogan"All For 2010"and Japan's tall and uncompromising central defender,Yuji Nakazawa,a shell-shocked survivor of the dramatic loss in Kaiserslautern 13 months ago,doesn't mince his words.
"We can't stand to lose to the same opponents twice,"he said."Once was enough. We'd better crush them now so we can pressure them in the upcoming 2010 World Cup qualifying round."
So distraught was Nakazawa at that loss and the manner in which Japan went out of the tournament - culminating with a thumping by Brazil - that he was determined to retire from the national team. But Japan's new coach,Bosnian Ivica Osim,persuaded him to play on for both the Asian Cup and the World Cup qualifiers.
Another Japanese veteran,goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi,believes revenge will motivate his teammates on Saturday night. Historically there is very little between the two nations:of their 15 meetings,Australia have won six and Japan five;four were drawn.
Kawaguchi is optimistic Japan can square the ledger."It's a great opportunity for revenge and I am looking forward to the match,but both teams are different to how they were in Germany,"he said.
Osim has revamped his team's shape and style and opted to rely on more Japanese-based players than his predecessor,Brazilian great Zico,who was dumped after the 2006 disappointment.
Celtic playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura and Eintracht Frankfurt striker Naohiro Takahara are the only two overseas-based players in the squad.
Experienced men such as Junichi Inamoto (now at Eintracht Frankfurt,but formerly of Arsenal and Fulham),wing-back Alessandro"Alex"Santos and former skipper Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (both now with Austrian club Salzburg) have been left out of this squad,while Brazil-born defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka is missing through injury.
Tanaka could be a significant loss given the aerial threat offered by Mark Viduka and John Aloisi. The Urawa Reds player is a powerful defensive header of the ball who also provides Japan with a goal-scoring threat from set pieces.