Maren Meinert, whose MVP-like performance in the first half of the season has carried the Boston Breakers to the top of the WUSA standings, scored two goals and assisted another to lead the World Stars past the American Stars, 3-2, Thursday night in the WUSA All-Star Game before a standing-room-only crowd of 7,068 at SAS Stadium in Cary, N.C.

Meinert. a German forward playing in midfield, was a unanimous choice as game MVP after scoring goals in the 34th and 61st minutes and feeding Breakers teammate Dagny Mellgren in the 40th minute.

The American Stars struck first, with Brandi Chastain redirecting Mia Hamm's pass in the 29th minute, and Danielle Fotopoulos tallied in the 71st.

The 80-minute match was the second official WUSA All-Star Game and the third total, including a preseason exhibition in 2002.

The Americans, with 10 U.S. national team players among its starters, dominated play early and might have owned a three-goal lead by the 30th minute but for World goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, who made diving saves on Julie Foudy in the 18th minute and Kristine Lilly — her Boston teammate — in the 28th.

Chastain's goal came from a short corner, with Tiffeny Milbrett finding Mia Hamm just inside the box. Chastain, standing in the middle of the box, got her left foot to the ball from Hamm, slicing it past LeBlanc and inside the left post.

The World Stars, exhibiting stronger technical ability, took charge by halftime, twice taking advantage of Chastain. Meinert fended her off to take a pass from Unni Lehn about 16 yards from the net, then beat Briana Scurry with a low shot from about 12 yards.

Scurry cut off Maribel Dominguez's angle five minutes later, thwarting another 1-on-1 opportunity, but she had no chance on Mellgren's strike a minute later. Meinert brought the ball toward the box, then sent it past Chastain, pinched in on the left, to Mellgren, who streaked alone into the box. Her shot landed inside the far post.

Meinert added a sizzling goal midway through the second half. Mellgren, in traffic on the right wing, took the ball to the end line and sent it into the box for Katia, who had time to control it and look for a teammate.

She found Meinert outside the box, and Meinert's first-time blast from 21 yards just beat goalkeeper Siri Mullinix inside the right post.

It was poetic justice that Fotopoulos, who shares the WUSA scoring lead with Meinert, got the final goal. Playing in front of her home fans, the Carolina striker — initially snubbed in the all-star selections, then added to the American roster by Commissioner Tony DiCicco — headed in a Milbrett cross with about 10 minutes to go.

THURSDAY'S SUMMARY

June 19 at Cary, N.C.

World Stars 3 American Stars 2. Goals: Meinert (Lehn, Prinz) 34, Mellgren (Meinert, Dominguez) 40, Meinert (Katia, Mellgren) 61; Chastain (Hamm, Milbrett) 29, Fotopoulos (Milbrett) 71.

World Stars — LeBlanc (Beene, 41); Lehn, Boyd, Nonen (Gonzalez, 41), Golebiowski; Mellgren (Prinz, 61), S. Jones (Dominguez, 68), Meinert, Dominguez (Peters, 47); Hooper (Katia, 41), Prinz (Fleeting, 41).

American Stars — Scurry (Mullinix, 41); Roberts (Mitts, 41), Fawcett (N. Augustyniak, 41), Grubb (Wambach, 64), Chastain; Foudy (Boxx, 41); Hamm (Parlow, 41), Wagner (Roberts, 61), Lilly (Foudy, 61); Wambach (Fotopoulos, 41), Milbrett.

Yellow cards — None.

Referee — Sandra Hunt.

A — 7,068.