Logic decrees that the U.S. women's national team, regardless of how well or poorly it plays, will cruise through the CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers and nab one of the region's two berths at this summer's Athens Olympics.

The Americans, a medal favorite for Greece, have dominated the rest of the region for years, and nothing exists to suggest that's going to change in the next couple weeks.

It would require the unthinkable for the U.S. women to fail to emerge from the eight-nation qualifying tournament, which kicks off Wednesday in Costa Rica, but the U.S. women refuse to think in those terms.

''Our humility runs deep,'' says U.S. head coach April Heinrichs. ''We don't make those assumptions [that we will qualify easily]. We have confidence, we believe in ourselves, but we never cross over and make assumptions. I think that's what separates us from many professional teams, from many other countries, from other sports' teams, and from one world event to the next, one tournament to the next. We don't underestimate our opponents.''

Canada — like the U.S., a Women's World Cup semifinalist last fall — also is heavily favored to join the 10-nation Olympic field. The winners of the March 3 semifinals will advance.

The United States meets Trinidad & Tobago in its Group B opener Wednesday in San Jose, then faces Haiti on Friday in Heredia and Mexico on Sunday in San Jose. Costa Rica is a likely semifinal opponent, and a meaningless final should follow on March 5.

Impressive start

The U.S. women, following a disappointing finish to 2003, are coming off an impressive performance at China's Four Nations tournament three weeks ago, when they shut out Sweden, China and Canada to capture to title for the second successive year. Joy Fawcett, set to retire from the national team following the Olympics, was expert in the back, and wing-defender Kate Markgraf — formerly Sobrero — was revelatory attacking out of the back.

''We continued, really, what everyone saw in the World Cup: We played strong, organized, committed defense,'' Heinrichs said. :It wasn't too long ago that the U.S. team was not well-known for our defensive qualities — our individual defending, our tackling presence, even our organization. It was one of our biggest weaknesses until, oh, sometime between 2000 and 2001. We've really become a very good defensive team and a very organized team.''

Lindsay Tarpley, just 20, had a breakthrough event, scoring a tournament-best three goals as an attacking midfielder in a 4-5-1 formation. Other emerging youngsters on the roster are defender Amy LePeilbet, midfielder Leslie Osborne and forward Heather O'Reilly.

Mia Hamm and Aly Wagner return to the roster after missing the Four Nations. Hamm was training in Arizona and Wagner traveled to China but was left off the roster after sustaining a leg injury.

Among the missing are a pair of legends, forward Tiffeny Milbrett and defender Brandi Chastain. Milbrett has pulled away from the national team in a clash over philosophies odd play; Heinrichs left Chastain off the roster after she started slowly in 2004.

Hamm and captain Julie Foudy, like Fawcett, have said they will retire from the national team following the Aug. 11-26 Olympic tournament.

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U.S. VS. OLYMPIC COMPETITION

Record GF-GA
Canada 27-3-3 117-25
Costa Rica 3-0-0 20-0
Haiti 1-0-0 10-0
Jamaica 1-0-0 10-0
Mexico 10-0-0 62-3
Panama 1-0-0 9-0
Trin. & Tobago 6-0-0 47-2
Totals 40-3-3 275-30

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The United States' failure to win the World Cup has sharpened its focus this year, but the Americans stride toward Athens having not captured the past two major world events. They won the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics eight years ago but lost in overtime to Norway at the Sydney final in 2000.

World Cup runner-up Sweden, should Hanna Ljungberg return strongly from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, figures to be a gold-medal favorite. Germany, which beat the United States in the semifinals and Sweden in the final, will compete for gold without retired Maren Meinert and Bettina Wiegmann. Brazil, China, Canada and North Korea also are expected to contend for medals in Greece.

To get there, the Americans likely need four wins over opponents that have never beaten nor tied them, scoring only on rare occasions. The only team in the tournament with victories over the U.S. women is Canada, and the Americans are 5-0-1 in the last six meetings with their northern neighbors — including a 2-0 decision at the Four Nations — following a four-game span without a win in 2000-01.

The United States has never lost in official CONCACAF competition, going 21-0-1 in five confederation championships and Gold Cups. The tie was against Brazil, a guest team in the 2000 Gold Cup. The Americans have outscored foes, 146-3, in 22 CONCACAF matches

Group B foes

The Americans' primary competition, if it can be termed as such, in Group B will be Mexico, clearly the region's No. 3 team. Coach Leo Cuellar's side gave Canada a decent battle at the 2002 Women's Gold Cup, falling, 2-0, in the semifinals on a pair of own goals. A loss to Japan in a two-leg playoff kept the Tricolores out of a second successive Women's World Cup.

Mexico has a young squad featuring eight Mexican-Americans — captain Monica Gonzalez (from Texas), goalkeeper Jennifer Molina (from Massachusetts), and goalkeeper Alba Garcia, defenders Lisa Gomez and Marlene Sandoval, midfielders Nadia Hernandez and Dioselina Valderrama, and forward Lisette Martinez (all from California).

Atlanta Beat striker Maribel Dominguez and UCLA forward Iris Mora provide savvy and finesse up front, and Gonzalez, from the Boston Breakers, anchors an improving defense. Dominguez scored six goals in Mexico's preliminary-round victories over Honduras and Nicaragua.

Trinidad & Tobago considered its 3-0 loss to the United States at the 2002 Gold Cup a moral victory, and it will be looking for likewise. The Soca Princesses are led by forwards Maylee Attin-Johnson and Tasha St. Louis.

Haiti was winner of the inaugural Caribbean women's championship four years ago and the best Caribbean performer at the 2002 Gold Cup. It is led by Judith Pierre, who netted three goals a two-legged preliminary-round victory over Dominican Republic.

Group A

Canada has emerged as a force in world women's soccer since Even Pellerud took charge following the 1999 Women's World Cup and the CSA improved funding for the program. The Canadians upset China to reach the final four at last fall's World Cup, and they held a late lead before falling to Sweden in the semifinals.

''The World Cup success is by now a good, but remote, memory,'' Coach Even Pellerud said when he announced Canada's roster. ''Our goals are high, and we desperately wish to win a spot in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. We expect Costa Rica to become our strongest opponent in the first round, as they had a competitive team at the 2002 Gold Cup and have an emerging program.''

They are coming off a subpar performance at the Four Nations tournament, where forwards Christine Latham and Kara Lang were missing with injuries. Both return to a young squad missing only defender Candace Chapman among its top-line players.

Three-quarters of the Canadian roster was born in the '80s, including five players born in '85 or later. Included is 16-year-old high school junior Aysha Jamani, who has given an early commitment to the University of Nebraska. Jamani, star of the Canadian U-19s' trek last month to Trinidad, made her full national team debut at the Four Nations event.

Marie-Eve Nault, from the University of Tennessee, also made her debut at Four Nations. Notre Dame's Melissa Tancredi, an All-American defender, is making her first appearance with the national team.

Lang, 17, is a high school senior. Midfielder Veronique Maranda, 17, is in Quebec's CEGES post-high school program. Both are expected to play American college soccer in 2005. If they do so, 16 players on the Canadian roster will have U.S. connections.

Charmaine Hooper joined Atlanta Beat teammate Sharolta Nonen on the Canadian backline during the World Cup, and their partnership was central to the squad's surprising run to the final four. Hooper, Canada's all-time scoring leader with 60 goals in 110 international appearances, moves forward when needed. Lang, Latham and Christine Sinclair — who have a combined 77 goals in 131 games — make for big, physical front line.

Canada has good depth in the nets, with World Cup heroine Taryn Swiatek battling WUSA veteran Karina LeBlanc for the starting job. Penn State's Erin McLeod is a capable backup. Each played one full game at Four Nations.

Midfielder Andrea Neil and jack-of-all-trades Brittany Timko, from the University of Nebraska, are other important players for Canada.

The Canadians are 6-0-0 lifetime against their Group A opposition, outscoring their foes, 36-0, in the process. They are 10-0-0 against Mexico, their likely semifinal foe, but 3-39-3 against the United States.

Costa Rica, led by forward Megan Chavez and defender Shirley Cruz, is the strongest team from Central America. Panama, which reached the final tournament when FIFA and CONCACAF suspended Guatemala, got four goals apiece from Natalia Perea and Diana Valderrama in its preliminary-round games.

Jamaica, which finished last at the 2002 Gold Cup, qualified with 3-0 and 1-0 victories over Cayman Islands, with Venicia Reid scoring twice for the Reggae Girlz.