For the third straight FIFA Women's World Cup, Australia will be in action at the quarter final stage.

While appearing in the last 8 and battling Japan is has a sense of familiarity for the Matildas, this appearance is also a little different following Australia claiming their first every knockout stage win against Brazil.

The path to the quarter final for Australia has been littered with challenges that have included three top 10 nations (USA, Sweden and Brazil) and to continue to make history they will have continue the run against AFC compatriots.

Meanwhile world no. 3 Japan's run through the tournament has been relatively smooth with a clean record in the group stage and an impressive win over World Cup debutantes the Netherlands in the Round of 16.

The match saw Nadeshiko put on display all their unique qualities that make then one of the world's best nations to watch. Norio Sasaki's side may have started slowly in the competition but against the Netherlands, they put on a technically and tactically sophisticated performance.

This match for Australia is their biggest test yet of countering modern football.

Australia will once again be faced with a 4-4-2 formation but this is no "bog standard" formation.

In defence, the Japanese are generally compact and sound but in attack is where they come to life employing an attacking 3-4-3, overwhelming the opposition with their numbers and movement. At the root of this is their superb technique and ability to keep the ball and build pressure.

Comfort on the ball and comfort with space means that all Japanese players are able to assist with the build up of play but the movement and interchange of Nahomi Kawasumi, Aya Miyama, Yuki Ogimi and Shinobu Ohno in the front third makes them a joy for spectators and a nightmare for defenders.

For Australia this match will be about their defensive shape and pressure that has served them so well in this competition. Japan's match against the Netherlands was relatively open with the Dutch declining to use a full press and the Japanese easily able to play through the midfield.

If this happens then it will be a long afternoon for the Matildas.

However, as the Dutch were able to do a number of times and Australia managed to do in the 2014 Asian Cup, the attacking transition leaves them open on the counter. Australia's own transition and the execution by Elise Kellond-Knight, Emily van Egmond and Katrina Gorry/Tameka Butt will become vitally important.

With the speed out wide through Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Sam Kerr and Lisa De Vanna, Australia have the ability to hurt the defending champions and get in behind a defence that will not have similar pace.

This match is also set up to be a central midfield battle. In Van Egmond/Gorry and Japanese captain Miyama, Mizuho Sakaguchi and Rumi Utsugi, control of the central space could mean control of the match.

After 6 days break between the Round of 16 and the quarter final, Alen Stajcic is confident that the team has prepared well for the Saturday's encounter.

“We’ve had a good week of preparation," he stated in the pre-match media conference earlier today.

"It has probably been our best week of preparation since we’ve been in Canada, so we can’t wait to get out there and take on Japan.”

“We really want to finish the job off. We’ve done well to get to this point but we really want to test the world’s best, which we have done somewhat already, but the job is only half done.”

The last time these two sides met was in the final of the 2014 Asian Cup where Japan defeated Australia 1-0. While history can tell us some things, it will be close and hard fought, this is a different setting and these two sides are in different places.

This quarter final is more than just about continental bragging rights, it is about the opportunity to continue a run at history.

Match information

Australia v Japan

Saturday 27 June 2015

Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton

Kick-Off: 2.00pm local (6.00am AEST Sunday 28 June)

Referee: Kateryna Monzul (Ukraine)

The match will be broadcast live on SBS ONE and SBS HD with coverage starting at 5.30am AEST

Australia squad: 1.Lydia WILLIAMS (gk), 2.Larissa CRUMMER, 3.Ashleigh SYKES, 4.Clare POLKINGHORNE, 5.Laura ALLEWAY, 6.Servet UZUNLAR, 7.Steph CATLEY, 8.Elise KELLOND-KNIGHT, 9.Caitlin FOORD, 10.Emily van EGMOND, 11.Lisa DE VANNA, 12.Leena KHAMIS, 13.Tameka BUTT, 14.Alanna KENNEDY, 15.Teresa POLIAS, 16.Hayley RASO, 17.Kyah SIMON, 18.Melissa BARBIERI (gk), 19.Katrina GORRY, 20.Samantha KERR, 21.Mackenzie ARNOLD (gk), 22.Nicola BOLGER, 23.Michelle HEYMAN

Japan squad: 1.Miho FUKUMOTO (gk), 2.Yukari KINGA, 3.Azusa IWASHIMIZU, 4.Saki KUMAGAI, 5.Aya SAMESHIMA, 6.Mizuho SAKAGUCHI, 7.Kozue ANDO, 8.Aya MIYAMA, 9.Nahomi KAWASUMI, 10.Homare SAWA, 11.Shinobu OHNO, 12.Megumi KAMIONOBE, 13.Rumi UTSUGI, 14.Asuna TANAKA, 15.Yuika SUGUSAWA, 16.Mana IWABUCHI, 17.Yuki OGIMI, 18.Ayumi KAIHORI (gk), 19.Saori ARIYOSHI, 20.Yuri KAWAMURA, 21.Erina YAMANE (gk), 22.Asano NAGASATO, 23.Kana KITAHARA