Ideas for Football

The 2006 FIFA World Cup is upon us; it's all over the radio, the television, and the newspapers. Everywhere you go, everyone seems to have a soccer t-shirt - some even have the matching shorts! Now soccer is an actual sport; there are two teams, a ball, two nets, and involves dribbling, passing, shooting and some pretty neat tricks (just like basketball). One of the best qualities of soccer, which isn't always present, is the sportsmanship displayed between the two teams. They help each other up, chat it up, and really remind viewers that in the end, it is just a game.
Despite being around for ages, soccer is still behind in development and isn't adapting quickly enough to the changing times. Here are a few suggestions to improve the game.
Time accurately: Technology today has given us the amazing power to accurately time. So when the game isn't actually being played - stop the damn game clock. This way you won't have to estimate how much time was lost while the referee was scribbling down penalties, substitutions were made, injured players were rolling in the grass or being taken off the field. By stopping and starting the game clock, everyone (players, coaches, referees, spectators) can know how much time is actually left in a half, instead of trying to guess how much time will be added.
Count down: People are actually interested in how much time is LEFT in a half, or in a game. The main reason anyone would want to know how much time has passed, is to figure out how much time is left!
Quarters, not halves: Break the game up into quarters instead of halves - even if it's a little 2 minute break in between 1st and 2nd, and 3rd and 4th quarters. This would create a large amount of advertising revenue for the game, as well as greatly promote it. More importantly though, people don't want to wait 45 minutes to get a drink or some food, nor would they want to hold it in for that long ;).