Gamba Osaka - Kings of Asia

LONDON, England (CNN) -- They are the 11 men tasked with taking on English and European champions Manchester United in the FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday -- but what is the story behind Gamba Osaka? And what are their chances?

Qualified for the job: Gamba players celebrate beating Adelaide to set up a semi-final with Manchester United.

The Japanese club team has raced into the international spotlight after qualifying to play against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney in Thursday's FIFA Club World Cup semifinal at Yokohama's International Stadium.

Although the match result would appear to be a foregone conclusion, the rallying cries of Gamba and Japan midfielder Yasuhito Endo, who stated "All of us can be stars if we win", shows the passion and determination that will ooze from the Japanese side come kick-off.

And Manchester United won't be taking them lightly either. United midfielder Park Ji-Sung, who spent three years playing in Japan, has told his team-mates not to underestimate the Gamba team -- claiming that Asian football is on the rise.

But does Gamba have the right pedigree to really have a chance in this match?

Based in Osaka, a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, Gamba Osaka plays in the national "J-League" and was recently crowned Asian champions after beating Australia's Adelaide United in the AFC Champions League final.

There have been other significant recent successes too.

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Earlier in 2008 they destroyed U.S. Major League Soccer team Houston Dynamo 6-1 to win the Pan-Pacific Championship final. They've also been regular contenders for the J-League title, and managed to win it in 2005.

The club was initially formed in 1980 as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. Soccer Club, but changed its name to Gamba Osaka in 1992, first appearing in the 1993 J-League season.

The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" which means "leg", and the Japanese word "gambaru" which is interpreted as meaning "to stand firm" or "to do your best".

Expectations for the club had always been high since the first J-League season, but they have only recently managed to put together consistent performances and win major trophies.

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Despite some poor performances in the 1990s they have managed to remain one of only six teams never to be relegated from the J-League's top division.

However, success in Japan is one thing, and taking on Manchester United is a completely different challenge.

One thing Gamba Osaka does have on its side is international experience. The team boasts seven players who are former or current Japan international representatives -- including several who appeared at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Gamba will also call on their Brazilian strikers Roni (who represented Brazil at a Confederations Cup) and Lucas (who played in his nation's Olympic team) to add some experience and try to create pressure on goal.

Though, it can't be forgotten that even these talents may find it difficult in the face of one of football's most expensive teams.

It would be one of the greatest stories of winning against the odds, but, with the firm weight of a Japanese crowd cheering them on, Gamba Osaka have a real chance of making football history.

If they do win, the club and its players will undoubtedly become names that emerge from relative obscurity to claim their place in football folklore.