Gamba Osaka (ガンバ大阪, Ganba Ōsaka?) is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "Gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese gambaru (頑張る, gambaru?), meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70 Stadium. Gamba are one of only six teams to have competed in Japan's top flight of football every year since its inception in 1993.
History
Founded in 1980 as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. soccer club in Nara Prefecture and a member of the Japan Soccer League. It was mostly made of remaining players and staff of the defunct Yanmar Club, the former B-team of Yanmar Diesel F.C., later to be known as Cerezo Osaka. Gamba Osaka was an original member of the J. League in 1993.
In 2005 the club claimed its first J. League championship on a dramatic final day during which any of five clubs could have claimed the championship. Gamba needed to win, and have cross town rivals Cerezo Osaka draw or lose. Gamba defeated a valiant Kawasaki Frontale 4-2, while victory was snatched from Cerezo by a last minute FC Tokyo equalizer. In an AFC Champions League match in 2006, Gamba Osaka defeated Vietnamese side Da Nang FC in a record equaling victory of 15-0. In the 2008 Pan-Pacific Championship final, Gamba Osaka destroyed the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer a stunning 6 goals to 1 to win the tournament, with Bare making 4 of the goals.
Team Record
J.League
| Season |
League |
Place |
GP |
Pts |
Win |
Draw |
Lose |
Average Crowd |
| 1993 |
J1 1st stage |
8 / 10 |
18 |
- |
8 |
- |
10 |
21,571 |
| J1 2nd stage |
6 / 10 |
18 |
- |
8 |
- |
10 |
| J1 Total |
7 / 10 |
36 |
- |
16 |
- |
20 |
| 1994 |
J1 1st stage |
10 / 12 |
22 |
- |
7 |
- |
15 |
22,367 |
| J1 2nd stage |
10 / 12 |
22 |
- |
8 |
- |
14 |
| J1 Total |
10 / 12 |
44 |
- |
15 |
- |
29 |
| 1995 |
J1 1st stage |
11 / 14 |
26 |
31 |
10 |
- |
16 |
13,310 |
| J1 2nd stage |
13 / 14 |
26 |
26 |
8 |
- |
18 |
| J1 Total |
14 / 14 |
52 |
57 |
18 |
- |
34 |
| 1996 |
J1 |
12 / 16 |
30 |
33 |
11 |
- |
19 |
8,004 |
| 1997 |
J1 1st stage |
8 / 17 |
16 |
24 |
8 |
- |
8 |
8,443 |
| J1 2nd stage |
Runners-up / 17 |
16 |
34 |
12 |
- |
4 |
| J1 Total |
4 / 17 |
32 |
58 |
20 |
- |
12 |
| 1998 |
J1 1st stage |
14 / 18 |
17 |
17 |
7 |
- |
10 |
8,723 |
| J1 2nd stage |
16 / 18 |
17 |
13 |
5 |
- |
12 |
| J1 Total |
15 / 18 |
34 |
30 |
12 |
- |
22 |
| 1999 |
J1 1st stage |
10 / 16 |
15 |
17 |
6 |
0 |
9 |
7,996 |
| J1 2nd stage |
13 / 16 |
15 |
15 |
5 |
1 |
9 |
| J1 Total |
11 / 16 |
30 |
32 |
11 |
1 |
18 |
| 2000 |
J1 1st stage |
13 / 16 |
15 |
17 |
5 |
2 |
8 |
9,794 |
| J1 2nd stage |
4 / 16 |
15 |
28 |
10 |
0 |
5 |
| J1 Total |
6 / 16 |
30 |
45 |
15 |
2 |
13 |
| 2001 |
J1 1st stage |
5 / 16 |
15 |
25 |
9 |
0 |
6 |
11,723 |
| J1 2nd stage |
11 / 16 |
15 |
17 |
5 |
2 |
8 |
| J1 Total |
7 / 16 |
30 |
42 |
14 |
2 |
14 |
| 2002 |
J1 1st stage |
4 / 16 |
15 |
27 |
9 |
1 |
5 |
12,762 |
| J1 2nd stage |
Runners-up / 16 |
15 |
27 |
10 |
0 |
5 |
| J1 Total |
3 / 16 |
30 |
54 |
19 |
1 |
10 |
| 2003 |
J1 1st stage |
12 / 16 |
15 |
16 |
4 |
4 |
7 |
10,222 |
| J1 2nd stage |
7 / 16 |
15 |
23 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
| J1 Total |
10 / 16 |
30 |
39 |
10 |
9 |
11 |
| 2004 |
J1 1st stage |
4 / 16 |
15 |
24 |
7 |
3 |
5 |
12,517 |
| J1 2nd stage |
3 / 16 |
15 |
27 |
8 |
3 |
4 |
| J1 Total |
3 / 16 |
30 |
51 |
15 |
6 |
9 |
| 2005 |
J1 |
Champions / 18 |
34 |
60 |
18 |
6 |
10 |
15,966 |
| 2006 |
J1 |
3 / 18 |
34 |
66 |
20 |
6 |
8 |
16,259 |
| 2007 |
J1 |
3 / 18 |
34 |
67 |
19 |
10 |
5 |
17,439 |
Other domestic competitions
| Season |
Result |
| 1992 |
Quarter-finals |
| 1993 |
2nd Round |
| 1994 |
Semi-finals |
| 1995 |
Semi-finals |
| 1996 |
Semi-finals |
| 1997 |
Quarter-finals |
| 1998 |
3rd Round |
| 1999 |
3rd Round |
| 2000 |
Semi-finals |
| 2001 |
Quarter-finals |
| 2002 |
4th Round |
| 2003 |
4th Round |
| 2004 |
Semi-finals |
| 2005 |
Quarter-finals |
| 2006 |
Runners-up |
| 2007 |
Semi-finals |
| 2008 |
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| Season |
Result |
| 1992 |
Group Stage |
| 1993 |
Semi-finals |
| 1994 |
Semi-finals |
| 1995 |
Not Held |
| 1996 |
Group Stage |
| 1997 |
Group Stage |
| 1998 |
Group Stage |
| 1999 |
2nd Round |
| 2000 |
2nd Round |
| 2001 |
2nd Round |
| 2002 |
Semi-finals |
| 2003 |
Quarter-finals |
| 2004 |
Quarter-finals |
| 2005 |
Runners-up |
| 2006 |
Quarter-finals |
| 2007 |
Champions |
| 2008 |
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| Season |
Result |
| 2006 |
Runners-up |
| 2007 |
Champions |
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Major International Competitions
Players
Current squad
As of June 23, 2008
Out on loan
Notable Players
World Cup players
World Cup 1998
World Cup 2002
World Cup 2006
Honours
Japanese Competitions
Matsushita (Amateur era)
Gamba Osaka (Professional era)
Minor International Competitions
Managers
External links
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2008 J. League Clubs & Associate Members |
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Division 1
(18 clubs) |
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Division 2
(15 clubs) |
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Defunct
Club(s) |
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Associate
Members |
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Competitions involving Japanese clubs |
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| International |
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