In the next year, 1999, the team still stayed low in the 1st stage, but in the 2nd stage, it invited Shu KAMO as manager, who was also a former manager of the Japan national football team and acquired Kazuyoshi MIURA who had just came back from the Republic of Croatia, with the result that they achieved ninth position, which was the first single digit ranking since the promotion to the J. League.
翌1999年は1stステージこそ低迷したが、やはり元日本代表監督の加茂周を監督に迎え、クロアチア帰りの三浦知良を獲得した2ndステージは9位と、Jリーグ昇格後初の1桁順位となった。