First is a place in the group stage of the continental competition. Beat the eight-time J.League champions in this one-off elimination game and a place in Group E awaits along with Beijing Guoan, new boys Chiangrai United from Thailand and probably FC Seoul.
It is not the most daunting of groups and one that the Australians would have a chance of getting out of. And if they beat Kashima then they will certainly send a message to those opponents that they are capable of doing so.
In some ways, Kashima provide the blueprint for Melbourne. The Antlers had for years been a successful team in the J.League but struggled to make an impact on the continent. They were big boys at home but not as well-known or as respected as they should have been internationally.
That all changed in 2018 when Kashima finally won the competition to become kings of the continent for the first time. Victory also have not done themselves justice in Asia. This is the biggest club in Australia but in seven appearances in the group stage of the Champions League they managed to progress to the knockout round just once. It is not good enough and losing five and drawing one of the six games in 2019 was embarrassing for Melbourne and the A-League.
A good performance in Japan will go some way to repairing that tattered international reputation. Nobody is expecting Melbourne to win in Japan and this may be their biggest advantage. The Aussies have nothing to lose. It is a one-off game and it comes just four days after the A-League clash with Sydney. The odds don’t favour an away win, especially after a six-hour delay en route, which is why Victory should throw caution to the wind and give it a real good go.
It would be a great way for new coach Carlos Salvachua to show that he is the man to take the team forward beyond the end of this season. If the Spaniard can get a result then he could make no better statement.
Unlike the visitors who are in the middle of the A-League season, Kashima are still more than three weeks away from the start of domestic duties and only started pre-season training two weeks ago.
The team also have a new coach in Antonio Carlos, who replaces Go Oiwa who led Kashma to the Asian title.
Carlos, a former Brazilian international, had a short spell in the J.League with Kashiwa Reysol back in the nineties but, after being appointed in January, is going to take time to get to grips with his new team, life in Japan and Asia.
He also has to deal with the loss of his most important attacking player.
Last week it was announced that Brazilian forward Serginho was joining Changchun Yatai (which is also likely to cool the Chinese club's interest in Adam Taggart).
The 24 year-old played a major part in Kashima winning the 2018 AFC Champions League with 11 goals in that tournament and does not just score but also creates.
There is still talent of course. AtsutoUchida provides experience and guile at the back while Leo Silva is a composed and tidy presence in the middle. Going forward however, it remains to be seen however how Carlos copes with the absence of Serginho.
There are possibilities then. This is a chance for Melbourne Victory to make a statement and eliminate a team that used to struggle in Asia before coming good. It is time for Victory to do the same. They have nothing to lose.
