The new football season in Japan is just around the corner, and Sanfrecce have already set their sights on the crown of Asian football. The Asian Champions League is the pinnacle of club football in this region, with 32 teams competing from 10 leagues, from Saudi Arabia to Australia. The winner will represent Asia at the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup, held in the United Arab Emirates in December.

The Japanese football season finally concluded on New Year’s Day, and with it Sanfrecce Hiroshima were confirmed as Japan’s fourth entrant in the 2010 Asian Champions League. This season represents a remarkable turnaround for the Purple Archers, after they gained promotion to J1 by winning the J2 championship in 2008. Sanfrecce’s fourth-placed finish represents their best league performance for fifteen years, and comes after winning the 2008 Super Cup.

October was a very disappointing month for Sanfrecce, as fans’ hopes of both a surprise title and an Emperor’s Cup run were dashed within a week of each other. The team’s steady performance over the summer, where the team peaked in third place and looked set to make a serious bid for the Asian Champions League place that would bring, was wasted as autumn set in and circumstances conspired against them.

The past few months have literally been historic for Sanfrecce Hiroshima. They completed a nine-game unbeaten streak from July to September, their best ever run of form in J-League Division 1 (J1) since its first season in 1993. As a result, Sanfrecce find themselves in a heated race for the J1 title, in the same season they were promoted from J2. It was also announced yesterday that Hiroshima’s captain and striker, SATO Hisato, has been included in the Japanese national team squad for three upcoming friendlies in October against Hong Kong, Scotland and Togo.

Editor’s Note: Sanfrecce Update will be a recurring feature this year from Hiroshima-ken JET Stephen Packer, who maintains the “¡Sanfrecce Olé!” blog. Stephen, based in Itsukaichi City, will contribute regular updates on the progress of the Sanfrecce Hiroshima Football Club.