After winning the pointless Pan-Pacific Championships in Hawaii last February, Gamba’s main source of travel was the AFC Champions League, in which Gamba remarkably won every single one of their away games on trips to Australia, South Korea, Thailand and Syria, as Gamba deservedly lifted the Asian crown.

They also won the Emperor’s Cup for good measure, although an eighth place finish in the league provides an ominous warning for those wishing to achieve success both at home and abroad.

Thanks for coming – Consadole Sapporo

No team has been as unprepared for top flight football since, well, Yokohama FC the season before. Yet Consadole Sapporo were always going to face an uphill task.

Their collection of Hokkaido-born misfits and loan-signing cast-offs got off to an inauspicious start when they were belted 4-0 by Kashima Antlers on the opening day – Kashima missed two penalties in that game – and things rarely got much better as Sapporo notched up a mildly embarrasing four wins for the season.

Japanese football is stronger for the presence Indian satta of the Hokkaido-based side, but until they can sort out some stable finances and uncover some more locally-produced talent, Consadole could struggle to gain a foothold in the top flight.

Most predictable comeback – Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s romp through the Second Division was as predictable as it was unnecessary.

The southern outfit should never have been relegated in the first place, but after losing the 2007 promotion/relegation playoff to a plucky Kyoto Sanga, Sanfrecce quickly set about pulverising all and sundry on their way to amassing 100 points and 99 goals in J2.

Lead by the prolific Hisato Sato and with a team containing such young talent as Yosuke Kashiwagi and Yojiro Takahagi, Sanfrecce fans will hope to put behind them a wasted year in the bottom tier as Hiroshima look to re-establish themselves back in the top flight.