Charmaine Hooper's golden goal on a breakaway four minutes into overtime carried the Atlanta Beat into the WUSA championship game. securing a stunning 2-1 victory Sunday over visiting San Diego in a semifinal at Herndon Stadium.

Conny Pohlers scored in the second minute of stoppage time as the Beat overcame a late deficit in a tense, terse defensive battle to force an extra period before 8,123 fans and an ESPN2 audience that joined the game in the 32nd minute, following coverage of a tennis match.

Hooper got behind a limping Joy Fawcett for a long ball from Leslie Gaston, deep on the left flank, then fired past goalkeeper Jenni Branam to send the Beat to their second Founders Cup appearance.

Atlanta, the 2001 runner-up, will face Washington, last year's title-game loser, on Aug. 24 at Torero Stadium in San Diego.

The Spirit was seconds from playing in front of its home fans at Founders Cup III, but Pohlers' goal — on a play in which Hooper appeared offside — sent the fourth playoff game involving the Beat (of four) to extra time.

In 2001, Cindy Parlow's 101st-minute goal carried Atlanta past Philadelphia, 3-2, in the semifinals, but the then-Bay Area CyberRays toppled the Beat on penalty kicks following a 3-3 tie in the first Founders Cup. Carla Overbeck's 92nd-minute golden goal lifted Carolina past Atlanta in a semifinal last year.

San Diego went ahead in the 38th minute, when Aly Wagner buried a loose ball into the lower-right corner from 16 yards. Beat defender Nancy Augustyniak had denied Julie Fleeting access to Kerry Connors' cross into the box from the right wing, and the ball skidded away and to the left, into Wagner's path.

Atlanta managed only five shots in regulation, but it created several dangerous chances. Branam stopped Hooper on a third-minute breakaway, Fawcett cut off Maribel Dominguez in the 58th, and Pohlers mishit a Parlow cross in the 72nd. And the Beat was unfortunate not to be awarded penalty kicks twice within five minutes late in regulation.

Referee Erich Simmons made no call after Ronnie Fair and Daniela committed fouls in the Spirit box. The more egregious occurred in the 85th minute, when Daniela hip-checked Marci Miller on a Gaston cross, knocking her to the ground. Fair kicked Pohlers in the 81st minute, knocking the German forward down while unsuccessfully trying to poke the ball away.

Atlanta got some payback when Hooper wasn't whistled offside on Pohlers' goal.

Kylie Bivens lofted a long ball from midfield to the left of the San Diego goal, and Miller leapt to head it toward the goalmouth. Hooper, ahead of the play, stepped back and redirected the ball before Fawcett could clear it, and Pohlers dived in to fire the loose ball home from about 7 yards.

Pohlers' kneecap, on the follow-through, hit Branam in the face, and Fawcett also went down with an injured ankle. Play didn't resume for two minutes as both received attention.

SUNDAY'S SUMMARY

Aug. 17 at Atlanta

Atlanta 2 San Diego 1 (OT). Goals: Pohlers (Hooper, Miller) 92+, Hooper 94 (Gaston); Wagner 38.

Atlanta — Scurry; Bivens, N. Augustyniak (Crumpton, 83), Nonen, Gaston; Serlenga (Pohlers, 52), Warren (Miller, 46); Parlow (Withers, 79), Sawa; Dominguez, Hooper.

San Diego — Branam; Pickup, Fawcett, Krzykowski; Foudy, Daniela; Connors, Nielsen (Fair, 77), Wagner, Latham; Fleeting (Rohbock, 87).

Yellow ca rd — San Diego: Latham 88.

Referee — Erich Simmons.

A — 8,123.

SATURDAY'S SUMMARY

Aug. 16 at Boston

Boston 0 Washington 0 (OT). Goals: None.

Boston — LeBlanc; Kluegel, Sobrero, McCann, Aldama; Hucles; Mugneret-Beghe, Monroe (Hawkins, 75), Lilly; Mellgren, Meinert.

Washington — Mullinix; S. Little, Moore, Grubb, Minnert; Jones, Stoecker (Zimny, 68); Golebiowski (Meier, 58); Hamm; J. Little, Wambach.

Yellow cards — Boston: Kluegel 56; Washington: Wambach 43.

Penalty kicks — Boston: Meinert-high, Lilly-saved, Mellgren-Goal, Aldama-saved; Washington: Meier-Goal, J. Little-Goal, Hamm-Goal.

Referee — Misail Tsapos.

A — 9,070.

WUSA PLAYOFFS
Semifinals
Sunday, Aug. 17
Atlanta 2 San Diego 1 (OT)

Saturday, Aug. 16
Boston 0 Washington 0 (OT)
(Washington advances, 3-1, on penalties.)

Founders Cup III
Sunday, Aug. 24
Atlanta vs. Washington at San Diego, 1 p.m. PDT (ESPN2)

LEADING PLAYOFF SCORERS
G A — Pts
Charmaine Hooper (Atlanta) 1 1 — 3
Conny Pohlers (Atlanta) 1 0 — 2
Aly Wagner (San Diego) 1 0 — 2
Leslie Gaston (Atlanta) 0 1 — 1
Marci Miller (Atlanta) 0 1 — 1