PLAYING RED CARD NO FUN.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

We'll remember the red-hot passion of Mexico's fans here. And the red cards that defined all three of its first-round matches at the World Cup in France.

We'll remember England's defensive stand against Argentina late in their elimination grudge match. And how it was made necessary by a questionable ejection and ultimately fruitless by a tiebreaking shootout.

We'll remember Croatia's upstart success. And wonder if it's mere coincidence that its three goals in the quarterfinal victory over Germany all came with a man advantage.

We'll remember the World Cup, now in its final week, as the best-played, most significant sporting event on the planet. And the one in which, more than any other, the games are decided not by the spectacular players but the referees, their red cards and their capricious penalty-kick calls, and the despicable institution called the shootout.

If this was a discouraging World Cup for anyone hoping to break down American resistance to the greatest international game, the United States team's winless, drawless performance was only a secondary reason.

Here was a USA Today headline Monday: ``Mexican referee sets ejection mark.'' Those are the memories this World Cup has provided.

Of course, just by showing up, the World Cup showcases more talent than any other sports event.

What's the United States' hottest professional championship? The Super Bowl? The NBA Finals? Well, there you have teams representing Chicago and Denver in sports that are among three or four choices for young athletes in the only country in which it's played at the major-league level. In the World Cup, you have a team representing the entire nation of Brazil in that country's dominant sport, a sport with major leagues all over the world.

A goal like the Netherlands' 90th-minute game winner against Argentina, in which Dennis Bergkamp used the instep, the sole and the outside edge of his right foot to control the ball and shoot it, makes the ``artistry'' of a fast-break dunk look like a 5-year-old's finger painting.

But only a goal so brilliant saved that night's highlight shows from endless replays of the two red-card fouls that controlled the game's ebb and flow.

The second red card, against Argentina two minutes before the Bergkamp goal, punished Ariel Ortega for this: standing up striking Edwin Van der Sar under the chin with his head; the Dutch goalkeeper was leaning over Ortega and never tried to move out of the way, and then put on the best knockout act since Sonny Liston.

That's one of the lasting images of this World Cup.

Two players charge hard and honestly after a loose ball, one launches himself through the air like Chevy Chase, goes down screaming and clutching a limb as if it's been severed. Other player pantomimes a swan dive, pleading with referee, who probably needs the help since he's one man watching 22 players.

Replay shows the kind of foul that might or might not draw a whistle in the final minute of an NBA playoff game. ESPN analyst says: ``A clumsy challenge.'' ESPN play-by-play man says: ``This portion of tonight's game is brought to you commercial-free by the U.S. Army.''

Referee whips out a red card, signifying an ejection. Writhing player jumps to his feet, to the applause of the Academy, or at least his countrymen. Shorthanded team goes into a defensive shell, hoping to protect the tie and take its chances in a shootout.

In the case of England, the red card that took David Beckham out of the game for the second half was for a case of retaliation - he reflexively kicked Diego Simeone in the ankle after Simeone sat on him - that wouldn't have drawn a second glance if it happened at third base.

A stat from the 1998 World Cup so far: Nineteen players have been shown red cards and expelled from games. Only two of them came from teams that went on to win.

Another stat: Penalty kicks have accounted for 17 goals. Only three of those were scored by losing teams.

Given the influence referees have, and the amount of ground they have to patrol, it's amazing soccer doesn't use two of them. Or none; a few games might have been better with the players making the calls.

Anyway, the World Cup obviously needs a merit system for choosing referees as the tournament goes on, instead of the current system that takes one from each competing country but then sends home the refs from countries alive in the late rounds.

Then it should raise the thresholds for meting out red cards and awarding penalty kicks. A simple foul, just because it's in the penalty area, shouldn't be worth the equivalent of a 1-point free throw.

Then, do something, anything, about the shootout, a test of pure luck that has been allowed to decide games in each elimination round, including Brazil's ``1-1 victory'' over the Netherlands on Tuesday.

Then again, this is exactly what the soccer world fears if America assumes any power in the sport: We'll try to change the rules.

Don't worry. Soccer is safe from the United States. It isn't our game and, as this World Cup builds to a conclusion, there's no public clamoring for that to change.

It's no surprise if Americans think soccer is a silly game. For much of the past month it has been.