Former coach Doan Minh Xuong believes the Hoang Hen–Hoang Duc midfield pairing was ill-suited to Vietnam's 4-2 win over Pakistan. In a VnExpress interview, he argued that Thanh Long's introduction improved connections and team balance. He also discussed Kim Sang-sik's selection difficulties with a limited pool of available players. These are the analyst's post-match assessments, rather than a line-up decision announced by Vietnam's coaching staff.