One of the Asian powers will meet Cuba or the Dominican Republic in Monday’s championship game after the shocking ouster of the United States, a 2-1 loser to Mexico on Thursday to allow Japan to advance in a complex tiebreaker system.

"Japan almost did not make it to the semi-final. Maybe now they have this additional power and energy that they did not have," Korean manager Kim In-Sik said. "I think Japan has very strong team spirit."

With masterful pitching and error-free fielding, the Koreans have a chance to claim global bragging rights in the first international tournament with Major League Baseball stars as well as take Asian supremacy over the Japanese.

"We feel this rivalry very deep," Korean outfielder Lee Jong-Beom said. "Japan has been known as the top team in Asia but we work harder to beat Japan.

"Because of our strong will, our zeal to beat the Japanese team, maybe there is some hidden power that comes out when we fight against Japan."

The Koreans, many with skills toughened in US and Japanese leagues, defeated Japan 3-2 at Tokyo in the first round and 2-1 at Anaheim in round two and also humbled the US stars 7-3 in Anaheim for good measure.

"Our games were very close games. I believe either team could have won either game," Japan manager Sadaharu Oh said. "We would like to show our best performance this time."

Playing in Japan’s league has enabled Korean talent to become familiar with their Japanese rivals. Lee spent four years in Japan and learned key lessons.

"Having played in Japan definitely helped me to learn the strengths and weaknesses of Japanese pitchers. It was a very valuable experience and a golden opportunity," Lee said.

"As a batter it’s much better to know the styles of the pitchers and I think that has been the secret for our success."

Tokyo Giants pitcher Koji Uehara will start for Japan against Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Seo Jae-Weong, who upset Japanese rivals by planting a Korean flag on the mound after a victory over Japan.