Some of us talked about this prior to game when Marcelo was out, that it would be a more defensive minded player vs Marcelo who pushes up much more
It doesn't surprise me that he's the one to speak up. I have my grievances with him extending from the last cycle, but one of the benefits of him being very laissez-faire about football is that he doesn't give a crap about public opinion.
In 2011, Mexico sent a U22 to South America for Argentina 2011 Copa America. The team beat a full strength Ecuador (rated decently at the time) in Quito (I believe). That night, they got some broads to come party. 8 players got booted. Fabian, Jona, Javy, Cabral, etc. The FMF reinforced the squad with U20 guys. We looked like absolute shit in that tournament. Calm down. (To be fair, the U20 went on to impress mightily in Colombia a few months later, ending 3rd place in the Mundial sub20.) What a difference international experience makes.
The Nouman Youtube videos are interesting, but lots of times it's a lot of over complication on fundamental tactics and a good football IQ a player may have I think. The first Brazil goal (mostly thought up by Willian's intelligence) was basic solid counterattack play and I would say the majority of Brazil's attacking opportunities they managed to get shots off were started by waiting in the back for Mexico and getting them poorly positioned once Brazil recovered the ball before the final 1/4 of the field Mexico was attacking. Of course there was going to be a second Brazil goal once Mexico had to push the lines even further up. Ironically those tactics worked so well Belgium decided they give them a try against Brazil too Though I did see after the first goal Brazil wanting to push further up themselves but almost paid a steep price with the deflected Lozano strike that landed at Vela's feet which made us all believe again for just that one fleeting second it was curving in just right
The counter worked for Belgium because of the space Marcelo was leaving. It didn't work for Mexico because 1) JCO's roster was limited in options (by choice!) and 2) Leandro (@Hugo Sanchez) Augusto is clearly an inferior attacking fullback compared to Marcelo so he won't leave those same spaces.
The official story from the start was that Marcelo was injured for the Mexico game, but I think that was always their game plan healthy or not, replace Marcelo and have the fullbacks including Marcelo's replacement not get caught too up front because of Mexico's attack mindedness. Brazil respected the attacking threat Mexico would bring to the game, but I have to say for what I saw didn't give Belgium the same courtesy and they paid the price on both goals especially on the second goal with Marcelo having to backtrack way out of position. I understand one can argue once Brazil made the mistake on the first goal, the whole defensive positioning scheme used against Mexico for the majority of that game which worked wonderfully for them had to be tossed out to tie the game against Belgium. When compared to Marcelo I think any fullback on the either side looks pedestrian.