Soca Warriors coach Stephen Hart has described his team's 1�0 loss to Panama in their international friendly at Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, on Friday night as a huge learning curve for his team.
The youthful Soca Warriors squad, featuring only four overseas-based players in captain Khaleem Hyland (Belgium), Sheldon Bateau (Belgium), Kevin Molino (USA) and Justin Hoyte (England), as well as two national Under-20 players in its startling line-up was undone by a 16th minute header from Panama captain, Roman Torres.
The loss was the first for coach Hart in six matches on home soil, since he took charge of the team just before the 2013 Concacaf Gold Cup and dropped his record to nine wins, three draws and seven defeats.
Hart believes the gap in experienced between both teams was evident as his team was a very young one compared to the Central Americans, who have been together for a while.
He said, "I think inexperienced showed. It took us the first 35 minutes or so to find our legs and get our working relationships going. I asked the players to do some things and they tried to do that in the second-half.
"In the end Panama's experience showed and they made us chase the ball a lot mainly because everything was new for us. New lines playing together, new players playing together.
"It was either we were playing it too quick or we were playing too slow, but when you look at some of the performances of some of the players, you can see that they can push for spots for selection."
Hart also felt the match was a good exercise as he looks at widening his pool of players ahead of the Concacaf Gold Cup in July and World Cup qualifiers that follow.
"That's why we played this game. The intensity of our training this week was different for our players and you can see we were slow to close the ball down in comparison to them.
"They were fast in ones and twos, especially when the ball went wide, but that's the learning point and that's why you play games like this. It was a huge learning curve for our players."
Despite the loss Hart, still singled out a few players for their performance on the night inclusive of goalkeeper Marvin Phillip, debutants Neveal Hackshaw and Shannon Gomez, and the experienced quartet of Hyland and Molino, and local duo Mekeil Williams and Ataulla Guerra.
With regards to Phillip, who got the starter's nod ahead of former captain Jan-Michael Williams, Hart said, "Marvin with his professionalism and his work ethic deserved the opportunity to play the game.
"This was an exhibition game and I have to find ways of creating competition in the squad for places and Marvin came up with some great saves tonight (Friday), some big saves"
Looking ahead, Hart, who expressed his dissatisfaction of T&T not being able to utilise both Fifa international dates, said he will continue to assess the players' performances against Panama from video footage and begin plans for a full-time camp at the end of the TT Pro League season in May.
"Fitness trainer Tobias Ottley will analyse the fitness level of the players and outline individual training programmes between now and the start of the camp after which I am hoping to have two friendly internationals in June and another in July prior to the start of the Gold Cup.
"I always want us to play teams that are going to push us over the top as you always have to be able to push yourself. You cannot be afraid to lose games and you cannot be afraid to take risks," said Hart.
Panama coach, Colombian-born Hernan Gomez also credited the youthful T&T squad which had three U-20 players in Hackshaw, Garcia and Gomez on debut.
"T&T was a very strong team and they had very good moments during the game," said Gomez
"Usually 1�0 is a level kind of score in these types of matches and I believe T&T will do well at the Gold Cup."
The Panamanians returned home yesterday ahead of another friendly international against 2014 World Cup quarterfinalist Costa Rica on Tuesday.