Kristine Lilly figured in all three goals as the U.S. women's national team opened the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup with a 3-0 victory over overmatched Mexico at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

Aly Wagner, Cindy Parlow and Shannon MacMillan scored for the Americans, who owned a 25-2 shot advantage and dictated every facet of the match.

Wagner's fifth-minute strike, a 20-yard first-time shot to the lower-left corner, left the result in little doubt. Kate Sobrero's cross from the right found Lilly, who dropped the ball back into the semicircle for Wagner.

Parlow doubled the advantage in the 42nd minute after Hamm's rolling feed from the right got through a near-post scrum consisting of Lilly, Mexican goalkeeper Jennifer Molina and midfielder Monica Gerardo, one of two WUSA players in the Tricolores' lineup. The ball appeared to deflect off Gerardo, and Parlow tapped into an open net.

MacMillan added the third in second-half stoppage time, depositing a rebound after Molina made a diving save of a Lilly shot. Molina, from Colgate University, made nine saves — several of them superb stops — to keep the score close.

''I'm pleased with the way we played in the first half even though we created fewer chances, and then of course, the opposite was true in the second half when we created chances, but actually didn't play as well,'' U.S. coach April Heinrichs said. ''Our game fell apart a little bit, and one of the last things I said to the team tonight was that we certainly left the door open for a better performance on Tuesday.''

The Americans will face Trinidad & Tobago on Tuesday at Cal State Fullerton. They'll wrap up Group 1 play Saturday at Safeco Field in Seattle against Panama. Group 2 play opens Wednesday in Victoria, British Columbia.

The Gold Cup's semifinal winners, to be determined Nov. 6 in Seattle, will qualify for next year's Women's World Cup in China. The third-place team will face off against the No. 3 team from next spring's Asian qualifying tournament, with the victor grabbing a WWC berth.

Panama got a hat trick from Amarelis De Mera to top Trinidad & Tobago, 4-2, in an entertaining tournament opener. T&T was down to 10 players after Leslie Ann James was ejected in the 37th minute for elbowing Lucresia Bustamente in the face following Panama's second goal.

NOTE: Goalkeeper Siri Mullinix was replaced on the U.S. roster by San Jose CyberRays netminder LaKeysia Beene after injuring her thumb in training.

CONCACAF WOMEN'S GOLD CUP

Group 1

Oct. 27 at Pasadena, Calif.

United States 3 Mexico 0. Goals: Wagner 5, Parlow 42, MacMillan 93+.

United States — Scurry; Sobrero, Fawcett, Chastain, Reddick; Foudy, Roberts (Hucles, 46), Lilly, Wagner; Parlow (MacMillan, 64), Hamm (O'Reilly, 79).

Mexico — Molina; Moore, Gomez, Gonzalez, S. Mora (Worbis, 75), Perez; Valderrama, Leyva, Gerardo (Vergara, 68); Dominguez, I. Mora (Antunez, 46).

Yellow card — Mexico: Valderrama 73.

Referee — Sonia Denoncourt (Canada). A — 5,568.

Other score
Panama 4 (Bedoya 29, De Mera 35, 61, 66) Trinidad & Tobago 2 (Attin-Johnson 39, St. Louis 65).

Oct. 29 at Fullerton, Calif.
United States vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 7 p.m. PST
Mexico vs. Panama, 9 p.m. PST

Nov. 2 at Seattle
Mexico vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 5 p.m. PST United States vs. Panama, 7:30 p.m. PST

Group 2

Oct. 30 at Victoria, British Columbia
Costa Rica vs. Jamaica, 6 p.m. PST
Canada vs. Haiti, 8 p.m. PST

Nov. 1 at Victoria, British Columbia
Haiti vs. Costa Rica, 6 p.m. PST
Canada vs. Jamaica, 8 p.m. PST

Nov. 3 at Victoria, British Columbia
Jamaica vs. Haiti, noon PST
Canada vs. Costa Rica, 2 p.m. PST

Final Four

Nov. 6 at Seattle
Semifinals, 7 and 9;30 p.m. PST
(Winners qualify for 2003 Women's World Cup)

Nov. 9 at Pasadena, Calif.
Third-place game, 4:30 p.m. PST
(Winner advances to playoff with Asia No. 3 team for berth in 2003 WWC)
Championship, 7 p.m. PST