Mia Hamm chose the best possible moment to score her first goal in the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup — four minutes into overtime — as the Americans captured their fifth confederation title in 11 years with a hard-fought win Saturday over Canada in horrid conditions at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Hamm got on the end of an Aly Wagner ball, lobbing it over goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc from the top of the box, to deliver a 2-1 victory in a tight match defined by Canada's defensive posture and the wretched field conditions.

Tournament MVP Tiffeny Milbrett also scored, giving the United States a 27th-minute lead, and Charmaine Hooper equalized for Canada in first-half stoppage time.

Mexico drilled Costa Rica, 4-1, in the third-place match, advancing to meet the No. 3 finisher in next spring's Asian confederation Women's World Cup qualifying tournament. The victor in that home-and-home series qualifies for next year's finals in China.

The United States and Canada nailed down World Cup berths with semifinal wins Wednesday in Seattle.

The United States had more of the play and better opportunities, but Canada's 5-4-1 alignment — with as many as six players stretched across the back line and often nine behind the ball — conspired with a field soaked and muddy from two days of heavy rains in Southern California to limit scoring chances.

The conditions more severely impacted the Americans, whose game relies more on possession and succinct passing than does the Canadians. Wagner's ability to drop balls onto teammates' feet or paths was hindered by sludgy footing and balls that skipped off or died in puddles. Canada's tactics, bunkering in the back and relying on long balls to, primarily, Charmaine Hooper, weren't affected as greatly by the conditions.

As the first half wore on, heavy fog descended into the bowl, and most of the field and the scoreboards could not be seen clearly from the press box. The fog dissipated at halftime and was gone early in the second half.

Milbrett fired the U.S. ahead with a sharp left-footed volley from 7 yards off a cross from Kristine Lilly.

Hooper's goal, two minutes into stoppage time, came off a corner kick. Silvana Burtini's kick went off Andrea Neil's head to Christine Sinclair, who took an off-balance shot that ricocheted off Hooper in front of the net. U.S. goalkeeper Briana Scurry, on the ground, tried to kick the ball but got little of it, and Hooper blasted it into the ceiling of the goal.

The worst sections of the field were at the north end, which the U.S. attacked in the second half. The conditions prevented the Americans from getting wide, especially on the left, and going through the center managed only so much against the Canadian bunker.

The United States won the coin flip heading into overtime, chose to attack the dryer south end and made it pay off immediately. Wagner lobbed a ball from about 40 yards to the top of the box, right of the semicircle, and Hamm beat defender Breanna Boyd to the bouncing ball, volleying it over the onrushing LeBlanc with the winner.

The United States previously won CONCACAF championships in 1991, '93, '94 and 2000. Canada won the 1998 tournament, in which the U.S. women did not participate.

Milbrett, Hooper and Sinclair shared the Golden Boot award, each with seven goals. Americans on the Best XI, selected by the Technical Study Group, were Milbrett, Wagner, defenders Joy Fawcett and Brandi Chastain, and forward Shannon MacMillan. Forward Cindy Parlow was among seven ''subs'' selected.

Maribel Dominguez scored twice for Mexico in the third-place game. Monica Gonzalez's penalty kick, after Gabriela Trujillo fouled Dominguez, gave the Mexicans a 1-0 lead, but a beautiful strike by Shirley Cruz in the 26th minute evened things.

Iris Mora, one minute after coming on for Guadalupe Worbis, curled a low corner kick off Costa Rica goalkeeper Marie Claire Herra's hand and into the net for a 2-1 advantage in the 37th.

Dominguez scored twice in the second half.

GOLD CUP NOTES: High-schooler Heather O'Reilly returned to the U.S. team after CONCACAF ruled it had incorrectly allowed the U.S. team to replace her, after she sustained a hip-pointer against Mexico, with Abby Wambach. … Canada was without defender Sasha Andrews and backup goalkeeper Erin McLeod. They were ordered to return to SMU — under threat of losing their scholarships, according to Canadian federation officials — for its WAC Tournament games in Houston this weekend. McLeod did not play and Andrews saw limited action in the Mustangs' overtime win over Fresno State in a WAC semifinal Friday. Both started in SMU's 3-1 win over UTEP for in Saturday's final, which secured an NCAA Tournament berth. … Mexico, Haiti and Trinidad & Tobago also complained of players not allowed by their colleges, with threats of losing scholarships, to play in the Gold Cup.

CONCACAF WOMEN'S GOLD CUP

CHAMPIONSHIP
Nov. 9 at Pasadena, Calif.

United States 2 Canada 1 (OT). Goals: Milbrett 27, Hamm 94; Hooper 47+.

United States — Scurry; Sobrero, Fawcett, Chastain, Reddick; Foudy, Roberts (Fair, 46), Lilly, Wagner; Parlow, Milbrett (46).

Canada — LeBlanc; Chapman, Boyd, Nonen, Hermus, Burtini; Lang (Booth, 91+), Timko, Neil (Moscato, 78), Sinclair; Hooper.

Yellow cards — None.

Referee — Dianne Ferreira-James (Guyana). A — 6,911.

THIRD-PLACE MATCH
Nov. 9 at Pasadena, Calif.

Mexico 4 Costa Rica 1. Goals: Gonzalez pen. 13, I. Mora 37, Dominguez 66, 82; Cruz 26.

Mexico — Molina; Romero, Sandoval, S. Mora; Valderrama (Antunez, 64), Leyva, Gonzalez, Vergara (Siordia, 86), Perez; Worbis (I. Mora, 36), Dominguez.

Costa Rica — Herra; Rojas (Salazar, 25), Trujillo, Segura, Lopez; Campos, Briceno; Cruz, Rodriguez; Alvarez (Castro, 63), Megan Chavez (Martha Chavez, 84).

Yellow cards — Mexico: Valderrama 46+, I. Mora 49; Costa Rica: Herra 68.

Referee — Kari Seitz (U.S.). A — 6,911.

Mexico advances to playoff with No. 3 team from Asian confederation qualifying tournament, with victor qualifying for the 2003 Women's World Cup.

SEMIFINALS
Nov. 6 at Seattle
United States 7 (Parlow 30, 49, 52, Hucles 65, own goal Lopez 79. MacMillan 86, Lilly 90) Costa Rica 0.

Canada 2 (own goal Valderrama 10, own goal Gomez 70) Mexico 0.

Note: United States and Canada qualify for 2003 Women's World Cup in China.

GROUP 1
Oct. 27 at Pasadena, Calif.
Panama 4 (Bedoya 29, De Mera 35, 61, 66) Trinidad & Tobago 2 (Attin-Johnson 39, St. Louis 65).

United States 3 (Wagner 5, Parlow 42, MacMillan 93+) Mexico 0.

Oct. 29 at Fullerton, Calif.
United States 3 (Parlow 19, Chastain 54, Milbrett 62) Trinidad & Tobago 0.

Mexico 5 (Gonzalez pen. 4, 22, Sandoval 37, Leyva 65, Dominguez 78) Panama 1 (Valderrama 26).

Nov. 2 at Seattle
Mexico 2 (Gerardo 7, 60) Trinidad & Tobago 0.

United States 9 (Milbrett 3, 5, 9, 22, 34, MacMillan 12, 14, Roberts 40, Wambach 85) Panama 0.

Final Standings
United States 3-0-0 15-0 9
Mexico 2-1-0 7-4 6
Panama 1-2-0 5-16 3
Trin. & Tobago 0-3-0 2-9 0

GROUP 2
Oct. 30 at Victoria, British Columbia
Costa Rica 2 (Megan Chavez 43, 69) Jamaica 0

Canada 11 (Hooper 6, 27, 33, Burtini 13, 85, Sinclair 16, 44, 74, 87, Chapman 31, own goal Fenelon 80) Haiti 1 (Marseille 15)

Nov. 1 at Victoria, British Columbia
Costa Rica 5 (Cruz 53, 69, Megan Chavez 62, 87, Briceno 91+) Haiti 0.

Canada 9 (Sinclair 13, 77, Hooper 20, Walsh 42, Lang 45, 63, 84, 92+, Hermus 56) Jamaica 0.

Nov. 3 at Victoria, British Columbia
Haiti 2 (Gilles 13, 56) Jamaica 1 (Sinclair 59)

Canada 3 (Hooper pen. 28, 42, Sinclair 47) Costa Rica 0

Final Standings
Canada 3-0-0 23-1 9
Costa Rica 2-1-0 7-3 6
Haiti 1-2-0 3-17 3 Jamaica 0-3-0 1-13 0

GOALSCORERS
1. Christine Sinclair (Canada) 7
Charmaine Hooper (Canada) 7
Tiffeny Milbrett (USA) 7
4. Cindy Parlow (USA) 5
5. Megan Chavez (Costa Rica) 4
Kara Lang (Canada) 4
Shannon MacMillan (USA) 4
8. Shirley Cruz (Costa Rica) 3
Amarelis DeMera (Panama) 3
Maribel Dominguez (Mexico) 3
Monica Gonzalez (Mexico) 3
12. Silvana Burtini (Canada) 2
Monica Gerardo (Mexico) 2
Marie-Denise Gilles (Haiti) 2
14. Maylee Attin-Johnson (T&T) 1
Maritzenia Bedoya (Panama) 1
Xiomara Briceno (Costa Rica) 1
Candace Chapman (Canada) 1
Brandi Chastain (USA) 1
Mia Hamm (USA) 1
Randee Hermus (Canada) 1
Angela Hucles (USA) 1
Fatima Leyva (Mexico) 1
Kristine Lilly (USA) 1
Iris Mora (Mexico) 1
Kencia Marseille (Haiti) 1
Marlene Sandoval (Mexico) 1
Tasha St. Louis (T&T) 1
Geneva Sinclair (Jamaica) 1
Diana Valderrama (Panama) 1
Aly Wagner (USA) 1
Amy Walsh (Canada) 1
Abby Wambach (USA) 1

FINAL PLACEMENT
1. United States 5-0-0 24-1 15
2. Canada 4-1-0 26-3 12
3. Mexico 3-2-0 11-7 9
4. Costa Rica 2-3-0 8-14 6
5. Panama 1-2-0 5-16 3
6. Haiti 1-2-0 3-17 4
7. Trinidad & Tobago 0-3-0 2-9 0
8. Jamaica 0-3-0 1-13 0

AWARDS
MVP: Tiffeny Milbrett (USA).
Golden Boot: Tiffeny Milbrett (USA), Christine Sinclair (Canada) and Charmaine Hooper (Canada), 7 goals.
Best Goalkeeper: Jennifer Molina (Mexico).
Fair Play Trophy: Costa Rica.

Best XI

Goalkeeper: Jennifer Molina (Mexico).
Defenders: Candace Chapman (Canada), Joy Fawcett (USA), Brandi Chastain (USA), Monica Gonzalez (Mexico).
Midfielders: Shirley Cruz (Costa Rica), Aly Wagner (USA), Christine Sinclair (Canada). Forwards: Tiffeny Milbrett (USA), Shannon MacMillan (USA), Charmaine Hooper (Canada).
Subs: G Lisa Jo Ramkissoon (Trinidad & Tobago), D Gabriela Trujillo (Costa Rica), M Tasha St. Louis (Trinidad & Tobago), F Marie-Denise Gilles (Haiti), F Maribel Dominguez (Mexico), F Kara Lang (Canada), F Cindy Parlow (USA).