Oscar and James

The U20 FIFA World Cup can sometimes resemble a freeze-frame of future World Cups. An array of players from across the globe, some of them barely even out of school, and yet, blessed with natural, precocious talents.

Many are never seen again. But for the rare few who go on to become accomplished professionals, it's a chance to gauge their development early on.

It'll be two of the former graduates of the 2011 tournament, James Rodriguez and Oscar, who will grace the biggest stage in world football, the FIFA World Cup, when Colombia and Brazil clash in Fortaleza for a place in the semi-finals.

Unlike in Europe, South America's continental tournaments for players between the under-17 and under-20 levels are regarded as hugely significant, not just in terms of player development, but also in terms of the results. South American fans demand glory at these tender ages. It's no surprise that many young players therefore already have a handle on dealing with the pressure of such an intense competition when they get to the World Cup.

Oscar leads Brazil to 2011 win

Diminutive midfielder Oscar was the driving force behind Brazil's 2011 U20 World Cup win in Colombia. Having been an outsider for parts of the tournament, the now 21-year-old who plays his club football with English side Chelsea, was inspirational in the final, scoring a hat-trick in an extra time win over Portugal.

In the first match of the World Cup in Sao Paulo, Oscar helped Brazil to recover from a goal-down against Croatia, the midfielder even scoring the third goal. It may seem incompressible that youth tournaments are in any way comparable to World Cups, but the admirable composure of such young players can be linked back to this experience.

"He was fantastic and that's the kind of player he is and I have always believed in him," said the Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, after the win.

Colombia's new star

The star of this World Cup so far, however, has been AS Monaco's James Rodriguez who is the tournament's top scorer entering the quarter-final round. The youngster continues to impress and excite: all of his goals illustrate the range of qualities in his game.

"For me, special talents are those who do things that are completely out of the ordinary," said Uruguay head coach Oscar Tabarez. "Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, James Rodriguez - they do things because they have certain gifts that make them special."

Rodriguez's performances have propelled the 22-year-old to football stardom and he comes up against his Brazilian adversary Neymar, also 22, who is dealing with a similar pop-band-like following.

"When you see a star being born, it fills your heart with sweetness, and this is exactly what is happening at the moment with James Rodriguez," wrote the Italian Sunday newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Unknown to most, the Colombian has already changed hands for 45 million euros ($61 million) last summer when Monaco swooped to obtain him from Portugal's FC Porto. As the best creator in France's Ligue 1 last season with 12 assists, the attacking-midfielder possesses the vision and anticipation to cut open defenses in a split second.

The Monaco attacker is the archetypal playmaker with a selfless attitude towards his use of the ball. Yet he has combined this with the modern strands to his game: he's a strong runner, with excellent decision-making at speed. He even scored a header from a corner-kick against Ivory Coast, one of his five goals in the competition.

Like Oscar, Rodriguez's breakthrough moment came at the 2011 U20 World Cup in his native Colombia. The importance of the tournament back then to Colombia can't be underestimated.

'James is world class'

Colombia went out at the quarter-final stages, but the tournament was an overwhelming success. Rodriguez excelled as the attacking fulcrum of the team. He was the captain of the side, scoring three goals and setting up another three in the tournament.

The new heir to Carlos Valderrama, the previous star of Colombian football, had arrived.

José Pékerman, Colombia's national team coach, quickly promoted the youngster to the front-line of Colombia's assault to reach the 2014 World Cup. Rodriguez went on to net three international goals en route to the finals and another five in Brazil.

"He has everything to become a world-class player," Pekerman said. "I was never in any doubt that this would be the World Cup of James Rodriguez."

It's easy to see why Valderrama, known as "El Pibe," has celebrated the emergence of Rodriguez, unfazed by losing his status as Colombia's football prince.

But the next task for Colombia is not as graceful - knocking out the tournament's hosts for a place in the last four of the tournament. That could set up a clash with either France or Germany en route to the Maracana on July 13.