Who would’ve guessed it? Kashiwa Reysol, in their first season back in the J. League after a year in J2, survived a nervy final few weeks to clinch the J. League title on a thrilling last day.

In any other year this would be the story, and in many peoples eyes it well may be. But this was no ordinary year, as we all know.

The events of March have been well documented, and the people of Japan are still recovering from the tragedy that struck the nation. It’s for that reason that the story of the season for me is actually the team that finished fourth.

That team is Vegalta Sendai.

Sendai was one of the hardest hit areas of Japan when the earthquake and subsequent tsunami decimated large areas of the country, with their home stadium suffering considerable damage that left questions marks over whether the club would be able to return to the stadium in the short term once the league resumed.

But they did return, demonstrating a resilience and determination to fight through unimaginable adversity. They shone as a beacon, a symbol of hope to the people of Sendai and Japan.

And it was a determination they transferred on to the pitch as well. They might not have had the best or most high profile squad, but they had an unbelievable team spirit and a desire to win for their city and its people. It was perhaps this desire to bring joy to the people of Sendai that saw them lose only twice at home all season.

It also helped them to having the best defence in the league, conceding a measly 25 goals in 34 games. But amazingly, despite that, not one of their defenders was named in the J. League Team of the Season.

However, while they were able to shut teams out, they had trouble at the other end making it count. Their tally of 39 goals was the lowest of any team in the top 12.

While many thought their run, which at one stage saw them lead the competition, would eventually end, and in some senses it did when they fell significantly behind the top three thanks to a run in the middle of the season that saw them go nine games without a win, they still managed to lose only six games, two fewer than champions Kashiwa. Only Nagoya lost fewer games.

It’s ironic that it was their large number of draws (14), a result often viewed as neither good nor bad, kept them at the pointy end of the table but at the same time saw them slip further behind the top three.

Compare that to champions Kashiwa, who they matched blow for blow early in the season, who had just the three draws, having an uncanny ability to turn one point into three.

And there could still be more good news in the form of a place in the AFC Champions League.

The top three, Kashiwa, Nagoya and Gamba have all qualified for the 2012 ACL, but with both Kashiwa and Nagoya still in the running for the Emperors Cup, should either of them win that tournament, the fourth ACL spot would go to Sendai.

It would be a just reward for what has been a truly amazing season and a year the people of Sendai, and Japan, will never forget.