Action from the 2014 FIFA World Cup game between Costa Rica (white jersey) and Uruguay on June 14, 2014, in Fortlaleza, Brazil. (Photo: FIFA via Getty Images)

PANAMA CITY, Panama -- The Presidents of CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and the Panamanian Football Federation -- Jeffrey Webb, Juan Angel Napout and Pedro Chaluja -- along with FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke, are set to open on Thursday in Panama City the first of a series of four 2014 FIFA World Cup™ technical conferences.

The head coaches and technical directors of all FIFA member associations affiliated to CONCACAF and CONMEBOL have been invited to the two-day meeting in Panama’s capital which will be followed by similar events jointly organized with UEFA (Saint Petersburg, September 16-17), CAF (Cairo, 30 September 30-October 1) and AFC/OFC (Kuala Lumpur, October 29-31).

Key topics on the agenda will be the Technical Report published by FIFA’s Technical Study Group (TSG) as well as the analysis of the technological innovations implemented at the 2014 FIFA World Cup - specifically Goal Line Technology (GLT) and the vanishing spray - refereeing, and medical matters, including anti-doping, concussion and cooling breaks.  The Secretary General of the Irish Football Association Ltd., Patrick Nelson, will provide an overview on the new structure of the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

FIFA TSG Director and former Swiss international Jean-Paul Brigger as well as TSG members Raul Arias, Gabriel Calderon, Jaime Rodríguez, Theodore Whitmore, and instructors Roberto Alamos, Ronald Adolfo Amoretti, Anton Corneal, Teófilo Cubillas, Víctor Hugo Fuentes, Richard Howard, Reinaldo Rueda, Gary Stempel and Marcos Tinoco will be among the experts analyzing the main technical findings of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.  The Technical Report has been made available to all 209 member associations.