 Kashiwa Reysol on the other hand, finished 16th and had to play this series for two seasons in a row.Many believe Kashiwa underestimated this series as they easily defeated Avispa Fukuoka last year.The irony was that on December 7, 1969, exactly 36 years before, Venforet Kofu's forerunner the Kofu Club, played and lost in Promotion/Relegation Series (JSL, at the time a single division, against the two finalists of the Shakaijin Cup; Kofu had been runner-up) against the Hitachi Club (Kashiwa Reysol's previous affiliation), who had finished 7th of 8 in the old league.