Olympics-Soccer-Kubo comes of age as playmaker leads Japan into quarters

With crucial goals in each of Japan's three group games, Takefusa Kubo is delivering on his potential, as the Olympic Games hosts step up their chase for a place on the podium for the first time in over half a century.

Just as he had done in group phase wins over South Africa and Mexico, the 20-year-old opened the scoring for Japan in Wednesday's 4-0 victory over France to set up a quarter-final meeting with New Zealand on Saturday.For a player whose precocious talent has been discussed and debated since he moved to Barcelona's famed La Masia academy as a 10-year-old, the Tokyo Olympics is proving to be a coming-of-age moment for the Real Madrid playmaker.

"He has the quality to make a difference individually. He's a quick player who can make good assists, can score goals. He's so interesting. He has this individual quality to make the difference." After a short spell on loan at Yokohama F Marinos, Kubo returned to Spain, but not to Barcelona as had been expected as Real Madrid swooped to take him to the capital.

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