Julie Fleeting netted her 10th goal of the season and the San Diego Spirit gave a dominating performance on Sunday to take a big step toward its first WUSA playoff berth with a 1-0 triumph over visiting Carolina.

Fleeting headed home a Daniela cross in the 32nd minute and San Diego (7-6-7, 28 points) took control in the race for the final semifinal berth before 5,381 at Torero Stadium.

The result eliminated New York (7-9-4, 25 points) from playoff contention. The Power can catch San Diego, but the Spirit won the season series, the first tiebreaker in determining standings position.

The Spirit has a four-point edge on its other playoff rivals, San Jose and Carolina (both 7-9-3, 24 points), and one game remaining, at home Saturday against Washington.

San Jose finishes with home games Wednesday against Atlanta and Sunday against Boston. Carolina plays Wednesday at Boston and Saturday at home against Philadelphia.

The Spirit can qualify for the playoffs on Wednesday if San Jose and Carolina lose or tie.

Atlanta (9-4-6, 33 points), Boston (8-4-7, 31 points) and Washington (9-6-4, 31 points) have clinched postseason berths.

Fleeting nearly had a second goal at the end, but her shot against the grain struck the inside of the right post and Courage goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill gobbled up the rebound. Kim Pickup beat Luckenbill in the 17th minute, after a corner kick, but Unni Lehn cleared the ball at the left post.

San Diego did a superb job defensively, neutralizing Birgit Prinz and preventing Carolina from creating quality chances. Prinz, after an explosive burst into space, forced rookie goalkeeper Jen Branam down for a save in the 27th minute. Danielle Slaton's run up the left byline caused trouble in the 52nd minute, although the Spirit did a nice job of cutting off access to the goal.

Lehn scored for Carolina in the 39th minute, but referee Sandra Hunt — after conferring with linesman Raymundo Prisco — waved it off, ruling the Prinz was offside.

Branam, who made four saves to earn her first WUSA shutout, stopped Prinz, the ball bounced outside the box, and Lehn chipped the rebound toward the net. Branam was able to tap it off the crossbar, and the ball bounced down and back into the net.

Prinz, who was in an offside position when Lehn took the shot, tried to head the ball on a bounce after it struck the crossbar, but the ball looped over her head into the net without her making contact.

Prisco immediately extended his flag, and Hunt told Prinz — according to the German striker — that she was called offside because she had touched the ball.

In response to a written question following the match, Hunt wrote that ''Prinz was judged to have participated in the play'' and was therefore ruled to be offside.

Prinz and Carolina coach Jay Entlich were careful in their remarks — the WUSA has this year fined Atlanta coach Tom Stone and striker Charmaine Hooper and injured San Diego forward Shannon MacMillan for comments criticizing officiating — but expressed dismay with the decision.

SUNDAY'S SUMMARY

Aug. 3 at San Diego

San Diego 1 Carolina 0. Goals: Fleeting (Daniela) 32.

San Diego — Branam; Pickup, Fawcett, Krzykowski; Daniela (Nielsen, 63), Foudy; Zhang (Bush, 87), Wagner, Connors; Fleeting, Latham.

Carolina — Luckenbill; Burt, Fettig, Baxter, Slaton; O'Hanley (Borgman, 64), Roberts, Overbeck, Lehn (Montgomery, 79); Prinz, James (Wallis, 66).

Yellow card — San Diego: Zhang 49.

Referee — Sandra Hunt.

A — 5,381.

WUSA STANDINGS

Pl W-L-T Pts (GF-GA)
1. x-Atlanta 19 9-4-6 33 (32-17)
2. x-Boston 19 8-4-7 31 (31-29)
3. x-Washington 19 9-6-4 31 (39-27)
4. San Diego 20 7-6-7 28 (25-25)
5. New York 20 7-9-4 25 (32-42)
6. San Jose 19 7-9-3 24 (22-28)
7. Carolina 19 7-9-3 24 (30-31)
8. Philadelphia 19 4-11-4 16 (27-39)
x — clinched semifinal berth

THIS WEEK'S GAMES
Sunday, Aug. 3
San Diego 1 Carolina 0

Wednesday, July 30
Carolina 1 San Jose 2

Friday, Aug. 1
Boston at New York, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 2
Washington 5 San Jose 0
Philadelphia 3 Atlanta 0

NEXT WEEK'S GAMES
Wednesday, Aug. 6
Carolina at Boston, 7 p.m.
Washington at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Atlanta at San Jose, 10 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 9
Washington at San Diego, 4 p.m. (PAX TV)
Philadelphia at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 10
Boston at San Jose, 6 p.m.
New York at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m.

All times Eastern

LEADING SCORERS

G-A–Pts
1. Mia Hamm (Washington) 11-11–33
2. Abby Wambach (Washington) 13-6–32
3. Maren Meinert (Boston) 9-10–28
Dagny Mellgren (Boston) 13-2–28
5. Marinette Pichon (Philadelphia) 12-2–26
6. Julie Fleeting (San Diego) 10-4–24
7. Charmaine Hooper (Atlanta) 8-7–23
Birgit Prinz (Carolina) 10-3–23
9. Danielle Fotopoulos (Carolina) 7-6–20
10. Maribel Dominguez (Atlanta) 7-4–18
11. Tiffeny Milbrett (New York) 5-6–16
12. Melanie Hoffmann (Philadelphia) 5-5–15
Pretinha (San Jose) 5-5–15
14. Conny Pohlers (Atlanta) 4-5–13
15. Christine Latham (San Diego) 5-2–12
Christie Welsh (New York) 6-0–12
17. Venus James (Carolina) 5-1–11
Cindy Parlow (Atlanta) 3-5–11
Sissi (San Jose) 3-5–11
Stacey Tullock (Philadelphia) 3-5–11
21. Shannon Boxx (New York) 1-8–10
Katia (San Jose) 4-2–10
23. Emily Janss (New York) 4-1–9
Jacqui Little (Washington) 2-5–9
Lindsay Stoecker (Washington) 4-1–9
26. Abby Crumpton (Atlanta) 3-2–8
Krista Davey (New York) 3-2–8
Julie Foudy (San Jose) 3-2–8
Anita Rapp (New York) 2-4–8
Homare Sawa (Atlanta) 3-2–8
Margaret Tietjen (New York) 1-6–8
Tisha Venturini-Hoch (San Jose) 3-2–8
33. Kelly Golebiowski (Washington) 2-3–7
Kristine Lilly (Boston) 2-3–7
Cheryl Salisbury (New York) 3-1–7
Keri Sanchez (San Jose) 1-5–7
Aly Wagner (San Diego) 2-3–7
38. Justi Baumgardt (New York) 1-4–6
Emily Burt (Philadelphia) 2-2–6
Nel Fettig (Carolina) 2-2–6
Angela Hucles (Boston) 1-4–6
Steffi Jones (Washington) 1-4–6
Unni Lehn (Carolina) 0-6–6
Joanne Peters (New York) 2-2–6
Zhang Ouying (San Diego) 1-4–6
46. Katie Barnes (San Jose) 2-1–5
Erin Baxter (Carolina) 2-1–5
Kylie Bivens (Atlanta) 1-3–5
Brandi Chastain (San Jose) 1-3–5
Jen Grubb (Washington) 2-1–5
Lori Lindsey (Washington) 2-1–5
Shannon MacMillan (San Diego) 1-3–5
Mary-Frances Monroe (Philadelphia) 1-3–5
Jaclyn Raveia (New York) 2-1–5
Danielle Slaton (Carolina) 2-1–5
Allie Sullivan (San Diego) 1-3–5
57. Danielle Borgman (Carolina) 2-0–4
Monica Gonzalez (Boston) 1-2–4
Devvyn Hawkins (Boston) 1-2–4
Jena Kluegel (Boston) 0-4–4
Brooke O'Hanley (Carolina) 0-4–4
Tammy Pearman (New York) 1-2–4
Nikki Serlenga (Atlanta) 1-2–4
Jen Tietjen-Prozzo (Philadelphia) 1-2–4

Goals
1. Dagny Mellgren (Boston) 13
Abby Wambach (Washington) 13
3. Marinette Pichon (Philadelphia) 12
4. Mia Hamm (Washington) 11
5. Julie Fleeting (San Diego) 10
Birgit Prinz (Carolina) 10
7. Maren Meinert (Boston) 9
8. Charmaine Hooper (Atlanta) 8
9. Maribel Dominguez (Atlanta) 7
Danielle Fotopoulos (Carolina) 7

Assists
1. Mia Hamm (Washington) 11
2. Maren Meinert (Boston) 10
3. Shannon Boxx (New York) 7
Charmaine Hooper (Atlanta) 7
5. Danielle Fotopoulos (Carolina) 6
Unni Lehn (Carolina) 6
Tiffeny Milbrett (New York) 6
Margaret Tietjen (New York) 6
Abby Wambach (Washington) 6
10. Melanie Hoffman (Philadelphia) 5
Jacqui Little (Washington) 5
Cindy Parlow (Atlanta) 5
Conny Pohlers (Atlanta) 5
Pretinha (San Jose) 5
Keri Sanchez (San Jose) 5
Sissi (San Jose) 5
Stacey Tullock (Philadelphia) 5