The confederation championship is on the line but the pressure is off when the United States and Canada tangle tonight at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., in the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup final.

The North American powers already have taken care of the tournament's most serious business, nailing down berths in next year's Women's World Cup in China with semifinal victories Wednesday night in Seattle.

Bragging rights, fatter bonus checks and a trophy are on the line in the 7 p.m. PST clash, which will be televised live on Fox Sports World.

The big game of the day is the 4:30 p.m. opener between Mexico and Costa Rica for third place. The winner advances to a playoff next year with the No. 3 team from next spring's Asian confederation qualifying tournament, with another World Cup slot going to the victor in that home-and-home series.

The Mexicans, who caused Canada all sorts of problems in a 2-0 semifinal defeat, are led by forward Maribel Dominguez (Kansas City Mystics, W-League), midfielder-forward Monica Gerardo (Washington Freedom, WUSA) and defender Monica Gonzalez (Boston Breakers, WUSA). Costa Rica, outclassed by the United States, 7-0, in the other semi, are led by defender Gabriela Trujillo and forward Megan Chavez.

The teams' goalkeepers, Mexico's Jennifer Molina (Colgate University) and Costa Rica's Marie Claire Herra, have been the best in the competition.

With the World Cup business behind them, the United States and Canada are expected to employ attack-minded strategies, which would favor the deeper and more talented Americans.

The U.S. women have an unprecedented number of attacking options, with forwards Tiffeny Milbrett (6 goals), Cindy Parlow (5), Shannon MacMillan (4), Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach, midfielders Kristine Lilly and Angela Hucles and defender Cat Reddick making critical contributions. Playmaking midfielder Aly Wagner, a likely Gold Cup MVP , has been the fulcrum of the attack, delivering superb balls from myriad directions in a variety of circumstances.

The Americans have gone unchallenged through four games, rolling up huge advantages in (130-6), shots on goal (63-4) and corner kicks (51-1) while outscoring their foes, 22-0. Canada, too, has been dominant, rolling up a 25-1 edge in goals. Christine Sinclair (University of Portland) is the tournament's top scorer, with seven goals. Charmaine Hooper (Atlanta Beat, WUSA) has six, and 16-year-old Kara Lang has netted four. Winger Candace Chapman (Notre Dame) and central defender Sharolta Nonen (Atlanta Beat, WUSA) also have impressed.

Starting lineups:

USA — Briana Scurry; Kate Sobrero, Joy Fawcett, Brandi Chastain, Cat Reddick; Tiffany Roberts, Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly, Aly Wagner; Cindy Parlow, Tiffeny Milbrett. Coach: April Heinrichs.

Canada — Karina LeBlanc; Breanna Boyd, Sharolta Nonen, Andrea Neil, Randee Hermus; Brittany Timko, Candace Chapman, Kara Lang, Silvana Burtini; Christine Sinclair, Charmaine Hooper. Coach Even Pellerud.

GOLD CUP NOTES: High-schooler Heather O'Reilly has returned to the U.S. team, with Abby Wambach — who replaced the injured forward during group play — no longer on the 18-woman roster. … Canada is 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 this weekend. McLeod did not play and Andrews saw limited action in the Mustangs' overtime win over Fresno State in a WAC semifinal Friday. SMU meets UTEP for the conference title and an NCAA berth on Saturday.

CONCACAF WOMEN'S GOLD CUP

FINAL FOUR

Finals
Nov. 9 at Pasadena, Calif.
Third-place: Costa Rica vs. Mexico 4:30 p.m. PST (Winner advances to playoff with Asia No. 3 team for berth in 2003 WWC)
Championship: United States vs. Canada, 7 p.m. PST

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 0 Jamaica 0-3-0 1-13 0

GOALSCORERS
1. Christine Sinclair (Canada) 7
2. Charmaine Hooper (Canada) 6
Tiffeny Milbrett (USA) 6
4. Cindy Parlow (USA) 5
5. Megan Chavez (Costa Rica) 4
Kara Lang (Canada) 4
Shannon MacMillan (USA) 4
8. Amarelis DeMera (Panama) 3
9. Silvana Burtini (Canada) 2
Shirley Cruz (Costa Rica) 2
Monica Gerardo (Mexico) 2
Marie-Denise Gilles (Haiti) 2
Monica Gonzalez (Mexico) 2
14. Maylee Attin-Johnson (T) 1
Maritzenia Bedoya (Panama) 1
Xiomara Briceno (Costa Rica) 1
Candace Chapman (Canada) 1
Brandi Chastain (USA) 1
Maribel Dominguez (Mexico) 1
Randee Hermus (Canada) 1
Angela Hucles (USA) 1
Fatima Leyva (Mexico) 1
Kristine Lilly (USA) 1
Kencia Marseille (Haiti) 1
Marlene Sandoval (Mexico) 1
Tasha St. Louis (T) 1
Geneva Sinclair (Jamaica) 1
Diana Valderrama (Panama) 1
Aly Wagner (USA) 1
Amy Walsh (Canada) 1
Abby Wambach (USA) 1