On entry into the J. League, the club strengthened itself by obtaining players who had experienced playing in the J. League, such as Shunzo ONO (a football player) and Yoshiaki SATO, and they were highly motivated to play the opening game of 1996.
Jリーグ参入にあたって大野俊三(サッカー選手)や佐藤慶明といったJリーグ経験者を補強し、満を持して迎えた1996年の開幕戦。