Mexico, looking to upset another Women's World Cup semifinalist, gave the U.S. women's national team all it could handle, romping to an early two-goal lead before the Americans rallied for a 3-2 victory Friday night in the final at the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in Costa Rica.

Golden Boot winner Maribel Dominguez scored in the ninth and 15th minutes for the Mexicans, who stunned Canada in Wednesday's semifinals to claim one of the region's two berths to this summer's Athens Olympics.

The Americans, who grabbed the other Olympic spot, rallied with Lindsay Tarpley's goal just before halftime, Abby Wambach's 79th-minute equalizer, and Julie Foudy's winner in the 84th minute.

''The best thing that could have happened to the U.S. team is that we got challenged in this final,'' U.S. coach April Heinrichs said. ''I'm thankful to Mexico in that regard, because they challenge us, and now our team comes off the field and feels good about winning the CONCACAF qualifying tournament. We feel good about what we learned about ourselves coming back from two goals, and I think we also understand, having watched Canada the other night, that you can't take things for granted.''

It was a meaningless match, but the Mexicans played as if it meant everything, using a strong possession game to put the U.S. women on their heels the first half-hour.

Dominguez fired the Tricolores ahead after battling Kate Markgraf to a long ball sent to the right side of the American box. Markgraf slipped, and the former Atlanta Beat striker half-volleyed the ball into the left corner from 12 yards.

She got her second six minutes later, beating the U.S. defense on another long ball, lifting it over goalkeeper Siri Mullinix — off her line — and knocking it inside the left post. The goal was Dominguez's eighth of the tournament, giving her one more than Canada's Aysha Jamani.

The Americans didn't take a shot until the 29th minute, but after shifting from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3, with Tarpley moving to the frontline, they dominated action the rest of the way.

Tarpley halved the deficit in the 45th minute after Cindy Parlow flicked a Heather Mitts cross over goalkeeper Pamela Tajonar.

Wambach, who scored in each of the Americans' five qualifying matches, evened the score with a superb individual goal following an Amy LePeilbet long ball. Wambach took the ball to the end line, then fired from a sharp angle. The ball caught Tajonar's left hand and ricocheted into the net.

Foudy scored her winner after her first shot slammed into Mia Hamm. The sequence began with Wambach bringing the ball toward the right post, then cutting it back to Hamm, who couldn't take control, instead knocking it toward the far post. Lilly passed it back toward the top of the box to Foudy, who fired into Hamm.

When the ball bounced back to her, Foudy left-footed the ball slowly through traffic. It glanced off the right post en route to the net.

Canada finished third, beating Costa Rica, 4-0, as Christine Sinclair scored twice. Andrea Neil earned her 100th cap, second to Charmaine Hooper in Canadian women's history.

CONCACAF OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT
at San Jose and Heredia, Costa Rica

Final

Friday, March 5 at Eladio Rosabal Cordero Stadium (Heredia)

United States 3 Mexico 2. Goals: Tarpley 45, Wambach 79, Foudy 84; Dominguez 9, 15.

United States — Mullinix; Mitts, Fawcett (Reddick, 46), LePeilbet, Markgraf; Foudy, Osborne, Tarpley (Hamm, 60), Lilly; MacMillan (Wambach, 46), Parlow.

Mexico — Tajonar; Gomez, Sandoval (Gonzalez, 46), Castillo; Vergara, Saucedo, Ruiz, Leyva; Domingiuez, Worbis, Mora (Perez, 46; Martinez, 60).

Yellow cards: None.

Referee: Jill Proctor (Canada).

Att.: 2,500.

Third Place

Canada 4 (Sinclair 20,78), Hooper 43, Jamani 58) Costa Rica 0

TOURNAMENT RECAP

FINAL GROUP STANDINGS

GROUP A
W L T GF GA Pts
Canada 3 0 0 14 1 9
Costa Rica 2 1 0 8 3 6
Panama 1 2 0 4 12 3
Jamaica 0 3 0 0 10 0

Results

Feb. 26 at Heredia
Canada 6 (Latham 33, Hooper pen. 39, Sinclair 46, 61, 92+, Moscato 82) Jamaica 0
Costa Rica 6 (Campos 2, Trujillo 25, Chaves 26, 45, Rodriguez 54, Cruz 69) Panama 1 (Bedoya 27).

Feb. 28 at San Jose
Canada 6 (Latham 13, Jamani 22, 51, 67, 75, Neil 25) Panama 0
Costa Rica 1 (Chaves 38) Jamaica 0

March 1 at Heredia
Costa Rica 1 (Cruz 63) Canada 2 (Latham 6, Jamani 20)
Panama 3 (Gutierrez pen. 60, 81, Bedoya 85) Jamaica 0

GROUP B
W L T GF GA Pts
United States 3 0 0 17 0 9
Mexico 2 1 0 13 3 6
Trin. & Tobago 1 2 0 7 17 3
Haiti 0 3 0 2 19 0

Results

Feb. 25 at San Jose
United States 7 (Boxx 22, 37, 81, Lilly 25, Hamm 41, 44, Wambach 42) Trinidad & Tobago 0
Mexico 5 (Perez 7, 55, 63, Dominguez 80, Mora 84) Haiti 0

Feb. 27 at Heredia
United States 8 (Wagner 12, Parlow 17, 73, 87, own goal Fenelon 41, MacMillan 47, Tarpley 63, Wambach 81) Haiti 0
Mexico 8 (Lopez 20, Perez 25, 55, Mora 37, Dominguez 38, 59, 73, Martinez 80) Trinidad & Tobago 1 (St. Louis pen. 42)

Feb. 29 at San Jose
United States 2 (own goal Castillo 10, Wambach 26) Mexico 0
Trinidad & Tobago 6 (Des Vignes 3, 38, 65, Attin-Johnson 8; Elder 27; L.A. James 82) Haiti 2 (Hilaire 32, Deca 89)

SEMIFINALS
March 3 at San Jose
Canada 1 (Jamani 83) Mexico 2 (Dominguez 25, 60)
United States 4 (Wagner 5, Wambach 26, Lilly 29, Boxx 51) Costa Rica 0

FINAL
March 5 at Heredia
United States 3 (Tarpley 45, Wambach 79, Foudy 84) Mexico 2 (Dominguez 9, 15)

THIRD-PLACE GAME
March 5 at Heredia
Canada 4 (Sinclair 20,78, Hooper 43, Jamani 58) Costa Rica 0

Note: Semifinal winners advance to Athens Olympics

LEADING SCORERS
Maribel Dominguez, Mexico 8
Aysha Jamani, Canada 7
Paty Perez, Mexico 5
Christine Sinclair, Canada 5
Abby Wambach, USA 5
Shannon Boxx, USA 4
Megan Chaves, Costa Rica 3
Natalie Des Vignes, T&T 3
Christine Latham, Canada 3
Cindy Parlow, USA 3
Maritzenia Bedoya, Panama 2
Shirley Cruz, Costa Rica 2
Raiza Gutierrez, Panama 2
Mia Hamm, USA 2
Charmaine Hooper, Canada 2
Kristine Lilly, USA 2
Iris Mora, Mexico 2
Lindsay Tarpley, USA 2
Aly Wagner, USA 2

U.S. RECORD VS. QUALIFYING COMPETITION
Record GF-GA
Canada 27-3-3 117-25
Costa Rica 4-0-0 24-0
Haiti 2-0-0 18-0
Jamaica 1-0-0 10-0
Mexico 12-0-0 67-5
Panama 1-0-0 9-0
Trin. & Tobago 7-0-0 54-2
Totals 43-3-3 284-32