OSAKA, Japan -- Ultimately, Tuesday's game at Panasonic Stadium Suita was a dead rubber.
Japan have already booked their place at next year's FIFA World Cup, while Indonesia are still in with a chance after they advanced to the next stage of the Asian qualifiers.
If Indonesia are to pull off one of the most-remarkable World Cup qualification stories ever, they will be able to lay claim to being one of Asia's best teams.
But they were given a reminder of the level they need to reach in order to get there -- by arguably the continent's leading outfit -- after Japan concluded their third-round campaign with a humbling 6-0 rout of Indonesia.
It also must be noted that this was far from the strongest side the Samurai Blue could have fielded, with the starting XI sent out by Hajime Moriyasu consisting of just three players with more than ten caps to their names -- while there were even two debutants in the form of Junnosuke Suzuki and Shunsuke Mito.
Nonetheless, the three seasoned campaigners Japan had out there were undeniably legitimate stars.
And while Liverpool man Wataru Endō provided the steadying presence in the heart of midfield like he always does, it was the other two -- Takefusa Kubo and Daichi Kamada -- who really lit up the stage.
Kamada got the hosts on their way in the 15th minute when he headed home a pinpoint cross from Mito, before Kubo doubled their tally just four minutes later after breaking into the area following a clever short-corner routine -- firing home on the rebound after his initial effort had been saved by Emil Audero.
Right before halftime, the duo combined for Japan's third -- Kubo breaking free outside the opposition area with a clever spin and electric burst of pace before feeding Kamada, who showed brilliant composure to feint to shoot a few times to leave several opponents sliding in his wake before calmly lifting the ball over the onrushing Audero.
The sheer quality on display was frightening. Even more so considering the likes of Kaoru Mitoma, Ritsu Dōan, Takumi Minamino and Ayase Ueda are still to come back into Japan's strongest XI.
When asked by ESPN if his side had just come up against the best team in Asia, Indonesia coach Patrick Kluivert simply replied: "[Their] quality is amazing.
"Now, [we] see the real level of a top team, a top country, and [see that we] need to improve. It was a big learning moment although we're very disappointed with the result.
"It was very difficult for me to watch but I'm sure, for the Japanese people, it was a pleasure to see how their country can play like this."
Indonesia captain Jay Idzes echoed Kluivert's sentiments, highlighting the difference in the standard of football that players from both teams experience regularly at club level.
"We have players playing at different levels," Idzes told ESPN.
"Some play in Liga 1 in Indonesia. Some play in Holland. Some play, like me for example, in Italy. Everyone plays 'somewhere else'.
"Today we saw we are not there yet, when we play against players that are really good and play at a high level. We see there's quite a difference in Asia.
"But we have real potential to reach that level. We have to work on certain things and we're going to do that.
Already up against formidable opposition, Indonesia's cause was hardly helped by some bad luck with injuries as Kevin Diks and his replacement Yakob Sayuri both required enforced substitutions even before the break.
Any hope the visitors might have had that Japan might go easy on them with the win effectively secured went out the window the moment Endō and Kubo took to the field after the interval. It mattered little that Kamada was coming off given -- in his place -- came another Europe-based talent in Keito Nakamura.
Nakamura is part of a group who could find this international window, where Moriyasu is handing out opportunities, pivotal given he is probably secured a place in the World Cup squad at present but will be hoping to feature from the start.
He did his chances no harm as he took over from where Kamada left off for the second 45, although his first notable involvement saw him blaze over from close range with the entire goal to aim for after his dancing feet had taken him past Audero.
Undeterred, he would go on to play a role in Japan's fourth in the 55th minute as he charged at the Indonesia defence before finding a clever outside run of Shūto Machino, whose lofted ball to the back post was clinically volleyed home by Ryōya Morishita.
Kubo would eventually follow Kamada in receiving an early rest but not before weighing in with another assist -- this time with a delightful ball dinked over the opposition backline from the edge of the box for Machino to stab home just three minutes after.
Indonesia's misery would be complete with ten minutes remaining as the hosts added a 6th and, once again, Moriyasu's decision to blood some inexperienced personnel would be vindicated as some of the fresh faces combined to devastating effect.
21-year-old Kōta Tawaratsumida, still plying his trade in the J1 League with FC Tokyo, produced a brilliant turn of pace to embark on an enterprising run down the left before cutting a ball back from the byline.
Nakamura's eyes would have lit up as the ball fell his way but he was unable to guide a shot towards goal -- instead diverting it into the path of Mao Hosoya, who made no mistake with a close-range finish past a hapless Audero to cap off a brilliant display by Japan.
While numbers do not necessarily paint an accurate picture always, the fulltime statistics did not lie on this occasion.
Indonesia had a paltry 29.1% possession. They did not even fire away a single shot, compared to their opponents' 22 -- with ten of those on target.
An evening which was meant to mark the unofficial start of the next chapter of their journey would end up being a painful, if important, lesson for Indonesia.
One they hope will hold them in good stead as their quest to reach the World Cup continues in October.