( CNN ) -- In sport , finishing fourth rarely provokes scenes of rapture , nor does it excite the keyboards of headline writers . But for Vegalta Sendai who finished in that position in last season 's J-League -- Japan 's top soccer competition - fourth place was truly a miracle . The Japanese soccer club has rarely tasted glory in its short history . Despite having a small but vociferous fan base , the team is better know as perennial nearly-men ; forever stuck in Japan 's second division as promotion to the big league eluded them season after season . Yet in March last year Vegalta Sendai was looking forward with optimism to a rare season in Japan 's top flight . On March 11 those dreams turned to rubble . When a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and devastating tsunami hit Japan 's Tohoku region , the city of Sendai was one of the hardest hit . Tens of thousands of people from the area were killed or remain unaccounted for . Every aspect of life was affected and the city 's beloved soccer club -- majority owned by the city and the Miyagi prefecture - was no different . The team 's stadium was declared to be `` in ruins '' by J-League chairman Kazumi Ohigashi , its training ground destroyed . Vegalta 's foreign players , so traumatized by what they saw , canceled their contracts and returned home . The players that remained helped in the clean up operation and ran soccer camps for the orphans . The league was suspended . `` Immediately after the earthquake and tsunami we , as a team , wondered if we should , and could , continue to play soccer , '' said the team 's coach , Makoto Teguramori . But it was controversially decided that the J-League would continue . The club was homeless and its fans traumatized but Teguramori believed that Vegalta Sendai could `` be the symbol of hope for the entire Tohoku region and to lead and encourage the reconstruction efforts with our strong performance . '' Which is exactly what happened . Despite only ever being a minor footnote in Japan 's soccer history , Vegalta Sendai went on an incredible 11 game unbeaten run and sat at the top of the league table . Before their first match of the restarted season against Kawasaki Frontale the fans displayed a banner that read : `` Thank you for all [ our ] friends . We do not lose until we regain a hometown . '' By the time the team did eventually lose for the first time , Vegalta Sendai had been good to their word . Not only did they beat Kawasaki Frontale 2-1 in dramatic fashion that day , the stadium was quickly rebuilt and the team returned for the rest of the season . `` Everyone who follows the J league was shocked by Sendai 's performance . I met so many people who were encouraged by Vegalta . At the same time , they , fans and players , know that to keep on keeping on is important , '' explained Koji Takao , a writer for Japan 's leading Weekly Soccer magazine . `` The people in Sendai started a rush constructing job on the stadium . Although there was some serious damage after March 11 they could host a game against Urawa on April 29 . So the speed of reconstruction of the stadium was very fast . '' Not everyone could watch Vegalta 's matches though . `` People in Tohoku still could n't watch that game as there was no electricity , '' he added . After losing for the first time in June many in Japan assumed that Vegalta would then plummet like a stone . But after a brief drop in form the team went on another 11 game unbeaten run that only ended last November . `` To have one good run is difficult to do under the circumstances , '' said Takao . `` To have another good run and bounce back to the top table of the J-league made people in Sendai and Tohoku proud . '' In the end , Vegalta Sendai 's fairytale dream of winning their first ever J-League championship was a bridge too far . But their fourth placed finish represented their best ever season . The 2012 J-League season began last Saturday , the day before the anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami . Vegalta Sendai started as they ended last season with a 1-0 win against Kashima Antlers . But like the Japanese women 's national team , who famously won the World Cup last June by beating the U.S. in the final , Vegalta Sendai 's performances on the pitch resonated far outside soccer . `` What Vegalta and Nadeshiko Japan [ Japan 's women 's national soccer team ] show is how not to give up , '' said Takao . `` That 's why Japanese people cheered for the team . But that cheer was probably not only for the team . It was also for ourselves and the people who suffered . ''
Japanese football team Kashima Antlers had best ever season last year . Finished fourth in Takao 's Team . J-League 's stadium was ruined by last year 's earthquake . Team inspired to go on two 11 match unbeaten runs .