Atlanta opened a three-point advantage atop the standings and Washington captured its first victory in six matches in midweek WUSA action on Wednesday.
The Beat became the first team to win seven matches with a 2-0 victory over visiting San Diego. Atlanta (7-3-4) has 25 points, three more than Boston, through 14 matches. Only Washington has played fewer, earning 21 points in 13 games.
The Freedom (6-4-3) got two goals from Abby Wambach to beat a makeshift Philadelphia squad, 4-2, at RFK Stadium.
Wednesday's highlights:
Atlanta 2 San Diego 0: Nikki Serlenga and Abby Crumpton scored second-half goals and the Beat notched its sixth shutout of the season before 4,657 at Herndon Stadium. Atlanta won the season series, 1-0-2.
The Beat was without right back Kylie Bivens, who is in the U.S. training camp in New Orleans, but the teams' other U.S. national-teamers (and Daniela, San Diego's Brazilian midfielder) played in the match.
Serlenga scored from a 30-yard free kick in the 73rd minute, her first goal of the season, sneaking the ball into the net after Charmaine Hooper froze San Diego goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo by trying (and failing) to redirect Serlenga's kick.
Crumpton added a goal in stoppage time after Lisa Krzykowski's clearance landed at her feet.
San Diego fell to 5-4-6 (21 points).
Washington 4 Philadelphia 2: Wambach scored goals in the 27th and 30th minutes as the Freedom won its first game since May 24 before 5,780 at RFK Stadium.
Lindsay Stoecker added her fourth goal of the season and Lori Lindsey added a second-half goal that gave Washington breathing room.
Last-place Philadelphia (3-7-4, 13 points), its roster gutted by injuries, got first-half goals from Melanie Hoffmann and Stacey Tullock.
Rookie forward Trina Maso de Moya, a Charge ''reserve,'' got her first start of the season, and ''developmental'' defender Karyn Hall made her third appearance of the season. Forward Darci Borski and midfielder Beth McNamara — both signed to short-term ''supplemental'' contracts — saw second-half action for Philadelphia.
WEDNESDAY'S SUMMARIES
July 9 at Atlanta
Atlanta 2 San Diego 0. Goals: Serlenga 73, Crumpton 91+.
Atlanta — Scurry; Gaston, Nonen, N. Augustyniak, J. Augustyniak; Dieke (Crumpton, 64), Serlenga (Minnax, 89); Parlow, Warren (Withers, 87); Pohlers (Miller, 89), Hooper.
San Diego — Pagliarulo (Branam, 82); Pickup (Fair, 82), Fawcett, Krzykowski; Foudy (Sullivan, 53), Daniela; Connors, Wagner, Nielsen (Zhang, 77); Latham, Fleeting.
Yellow cards — Atlanta: Parlow 40, J. Augustyniak 43, Serlenga 58; San Diego: Fleeting 37, Nielsen 65.
Referee — Kari Seitz.
A — 4,657.
July 9 at Washington
Washington 4 Philadelphia 2. Goals: Stoecker 5, Wambach 27, Wambach (Golebiowski) 27, Lindsey (Minnert, Hamm) 73; Hoffmann 8, Tullock 31.
Washington — Mullinix; S. Little, Minnert, Grubb, Moore; Stoecker (Zimny, 80), Golebiowski, Jones, J. Little (Lindsey, 59); Hamm (Noftsinger, 82), Wambach.
Philadelphia — Moore; Kruze, McVeigh (Hall, 78), Tietjen-Prozzo, Benson; Makinen, Fair, Tullock, Misaki (McNamara, 56); Hoffmann (Borski, 80), Maso de Moya.
Yellow cards — Philadelphia: Tullock 62.
Referee — Rachel Woo.
A — 5,780.
WUSA STANDINGS
Pl W-L-T Pts (GF-GA)
1. Atlanta 14 7-3-4 25 (28-12)
2. Boston 14 6-4-4 22 (22-23)
3. Washington 13 6-4-3 21 (26-21)
4. San Diego 15 5-4-6 21 (21-20)
5. New York 15 6-7-2 20 (26-34)
6. Carolina 14 5-6-3 18 (24-25)
7. San Jose 15 5-7-3 17 (17-20)
8. Philadelphia 14 3-7-4 13 (21-30)
THIS WEEK'S GAMES
Wednesday, July 9
Atlanta 2 San Diego 0
Washington 4 Philadelphia 2
Saturday, July 12
Washington at Atlanta, 4 p.m. (PAX TV)
New York at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 13
Philadelphia at Boston, 6 p.m.
All times Eastern
LEADING SCORERS
G-A–Pts
1. Marinette Pichon (Philadelphia) 10-2–22
2. Mia Hamm (Washington) 7-7–21
Maren Meinert (Boston) 8-5–21
Birgit Prinz (Carolina) 9-3–21
5. Danielle Fotopoulos (Carolina) 7-6–20
Charmaine Hooper (Atlanta) 7-6–20
7. Maribel Dominguez (Atlanta) 7-4–18
Abby Wambach (Washington) 7-4–18
9. Julie Fleeting (San Diego) 7-3–17
10. Dagny Mellgren (Boston) 7-2–16
11. Pretinha (San Jose) 5-4–14
12. Melanie Hoffmann (Philadelphia) 4-5–13
Tiffeny Milbrett (New York) 4-5–13
14. Christie Welsh (New York) 6-0–12
15. Christine Latham (San Diego) 4-2–10
Jacqui Little (Washington) 2-6–10
Cindy Parlow (Atlanta) 3-4–10
Sissi (San Jose) 3-4–10
Stacey Tullock (Philadelphia) 3-4–10
20. Lindsay Stoecker (Washington) 4-1–9
21. Abby Crumpton (Atlanta) 3-2–8
Krista Davey (New York) 3-2–8
Julie Foudy (San Jose) 3-2–8
Conny Pohlers (Atlanta) 2-4–8
Homare Sawa (Atlanta) 3-2–8
26. Venus James (Carolina) 3-1–7
Emily Janss (New York) 3-1–7
Margaret Tietjen (New York) 1-5–7
Aly Wagner (San Diego) 2-3–7
30. Kylie Bivens (Atlanta) 1-3–6
Shannon Boxx (New York) 0-6–6
Kelly Golebiowski (Washington) 2-2–6
Angela Hucles (Boston) 1-4–6
Katia (San Jose) 2-2–6
Joanne Peters (New York) 2-2–6
Zhang Ouying (San Diego) 1-4–6
37. Justi Baumgardt (New York) 1-3–5
Brandi Chastain (San Jose) 1-3–5
Unni Lehn (Carolina) 0-5–5
Lori Lindsey (Washington) 2-1–5
Shannon MacMillan (San Diego) 1-3–5
Anita Rapp (New York) 1-3–5
Allie Sullivan (San Diego) 1-3–5
Tisha Venturini-Hoch (San Jose) 2-1–5
45. Danielle Borgman (Carolina) 2-0–4
Nel Fettig (Carolina) 1-2–4
Monica Gonzalez (Boston) 1-2–4
Steffi Jones (Washington) 1-2–4
Tammy Pearman (New York) 1-2–4
Jaclyn Raveia (New York) 2-0–4
Keri Sanchez (San Jose) 1-2–4
Nikki Serlenga (Atlanta) 1-2–4
Goals
1. Marinette Pichon (Philadelphia) 10
2. Birgit Prinz (Carolina) 9
3. Maren Meinert (Boston) 8
4. Maribel Dominguez (Atlanta) 7
Julie Fleeting (San Diego) 7
Danielle Fotopoulos (Carolina) 7
Mia Hamm (Washington) 7
Charmaine Hooper (Atlanta) 7
Dagny Mellgren (Boston) 7
Abby Wambach (Washington) 7
Assists
1. Mia Hamm (Washington) 6
2. Shannon Boxx (New York) 6
Danielle Fotopoulos (Carolina) 6
Charmaine Hooper (Atlanta) 6
Jacqui Little (Washington) 6
6. Melanie Hoffman (Philadelphia) 5
Unni Lehn (Carolina) 5
Maren Meinert (Boston) 5
Tiffeny Milbrett (New York) 5
Jen Tietjen (New York) 5