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Toru Araiba is a very hard-nosed defensive midfielder whose ball skills also allow him to roam forward on the wing. He has a powerful shot and, as indicated by the number of goals he has scored, he can find the net from a distance. However, his contributions on defence are at least as valuable. He is a product of the vaunted Gamba Osaka youth system, and rose to the regular team by 1997, playing both midfield wing and side back. With the addition of major scoring threats to spearhead the Gamba lineup and the shift to a three-back formation, though, Araiba's role changed. He is very quick down the wing, and is able to cross in a balls for the strikers with good accuracy. as a result, his most appropriate position is wing back in a 4-4-2 lineup. However, at a wing position in the Gamba midfield, he had trouble adjusting to the increased responsibilities for moving to the middle. Though he was frequently suggested as a possible addition to the national team, the uncertainty he exhibited in the role of midfield wing prevented him from winning any caps. In 2004, Araiba received a transfer to the Kashima Antlers, and this was clearly a positive step in his career. Although the Antlers' championship years had passed, and consequently Araiba missed out on the chance to win any silverware, the move allowed him to play in his more "natural" position, at wing back. Since that transfer, Araiba established himself as one of the steadiest "regulars" on the Antlers team, and remains an important contributor even as age starts to creep up on him. It is not clear how much longer he can maintain his hold on the starting spot, as younger players begin to challenge for playing time, but Araiba's steady contributions on both offence and defence suggest that he will contniue to be capable of making contributions for several years to come
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