Gamba Osaka probably do. Their nightmare run of crucial losses to Urawa Reds began in last season's Super Cup, when they were spanked 3-1 in front of 35,674 fans at the National Stadium in Tokyo. They hit back - kind of, by drawing 1-1 with Urawa on the opening weekend of the 2006 season, but they then lost 3-2 in the last round of the J-League, to hand the crown to Urawa. To top it off, they also lost 1-0 in the Emperor's Cup Final, despite outplaying the Saitama-based club for the entire match.

So it's back to the drawing board for Gamba, and they might look upon this match with some degree of tedium, given that the team standing in the way of a potential piece of silverware is the ubiquitous Urawa. Fans in Japan could be forgiven for getting slightly bored with the endless Gamba - Urawa grudge matches, but the J-League has never shied away from giving a dead horse its proverbial flogging. Urawa won the double last season, meaning the traditional showdown between League and Cup winners was made redundant, with Cup runner's-up Gamba getting the nod over Kawasaki Frontale, who finished second place in the league.

There are actually some talking points in this match - and its not just the debut of Yuki Abe in Urawa colours that has the fans buzzing...or at least, humming softly. Last season Gamba Osaka scored 80 goals in the league - 42 of them coming from their strike force of Magno Alves and Ryuji Bando, but they conceded 48. Their chance to catch Urawa on the final day of the season was hindered by the fact that the Reds had a better goal difference than Gamba. So what has the club decided to do? Naturally they have decided to sign another high-profile striker!

By bringing in Bare, who scored 14 goals for Ventforet Kofu last season, coach Akira Nishino seriously risks upsetting the balance of his side. How three of the more fragile egos in Japanese football fit into two striking positions is anyone's guess - unless Gamba opt for a 3-4-3 formation this season, which could see them concede even more goals against teams top-heavy with quality midfielders. Like Urawa.

At any rate, the Super Cup clash between Urawa and Gamba promises to be a mildly interesting affair. I won't be there personally - there's only so much of the National Stadium that I can take, but rest assured, I'll be putting my feet up and occasionally flicking over to the game from whatever bizarre soap opera I'm watching, to bring you all the thrills, chills and occasional spills of the match.