By Scott French, Senior Editor

RARE HOME LOSS: The Boston Breakers saw their 13-match home unbeaten streak snapped Sunday by the Atlanta Beat, but not many others did.

The smallest home gathering in Breakers history — just 3,518, the sixth-worst attendance in WUSA history — witnessed Charmaine Hooper score a pair of goals and set up another by Homare Sawa in Atlanta's 3-1 win.

Boston went 7-0-6 during its streak, which began with the final home match of the 2001 season, a 2-1 win over Philadelphia.

The Breakers have drawn their two smallest crowds in its first two matches this season. Only 3,823 were on hand for a 3-1 win April 26 over Philadelphia.

Boston's other home game was part of a doubleheader with the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

New York has been home for the two least-attended matches this season. Only 3,165 showed for the Power's loss last weekend to Philadelphia; 3,507 came for the win over Boston the week before that. Washington — with Mia Hamm — drew 5,347 to Mitchel Athletic Complex on Saturday.

BREAKERS' STREAK: The Breakers' 13-game unbeaten streak (all games at Nickerson Field unless noted):

1 — Aug. 12, 2001 (2-1 win over Philadelphia); Att: 6,075
2 — April 20, 2002 (3-1 win over Atlanta); Att.: 6,305
3 — April 27, 2002 (2-2 tie with San Diego); Att.: 6,747
4 — June 1, 2002 (0-0 tie with Washington at Gillette Stadium); Att: 21,539
5 — June 8, 2002 (2-2 tie with Carolina); Att.: 9,107
6 — June 22, 2002 (5-2 win over New York); Att.: 6,548
7 — June 29, 2002 (1-1 tie with San Jose); Att.: 7,014
8 — July 10, 2002 (3-2 win over San Diego); Att.: 5,450
9 — July 27, 2002 (1-1 tie with Philadelphia); Att.: 6,017
10 — Aug. 4, 2002 (4-1 win over New York); Att.: 6,462
11 — Aug. 10, 2002 (1-0 win over San Jose); Att.: 6,013
12 — April 26, 2003 (3-1 win over Philadelphia); Att.: 3,823
13 — May 3, 2003 (1-1 tie with San Diego at Gillette Stadium); Att.: 13,722

FREEDOM RINGS: Washington bounced back from a listless performance last week to blast New York, 4-0, Saturday in Uniondale, N.Y., its WUSA-record eighth successive road victory.

The biggest difference for the Freedom was the presence of Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and Siri Mullinix, who missed the 5-2 loss to Carolina while with the U.S. women's national team.

Hamm scored two first-half goals, one a penalty kick, and her corner kick led to Lindsay Stoecker's header just before halftime. Wambach added three assists and caused New York's defenders fits all afternoon. Mullinix made four saves while extending her unbeaten streak to 12 matches.

The Freedom improved to 5-1-1 and maintained its two-point lead on second-place Atlanta.

TEN IN A ROW: The Freedom's eight-game road winning streak is accompanied by a 10-game road unbeaten streak:

1 — June 1, 2002 (0-0 tie at Boston, in Gillette Stadium)
2 — June 8, 2002 (1-1 tie at Philadelphia)
3 — June 29, 2002 (4-1 win at New York)
4 — July 21, 2002 (3-2 win at San Jose)
5 — July 31, 2002 (5-2 win at Carolina)
6 — Aug. 10, 2002 (4-2 win at New York)
7 — Aug. 17, 2002 (1-0 win at Philadelphia, in WUSA semifinal)
8 — April 5, 2003 (2-1 win at Carolina)
9 — April 19, 2003 (2-0 win at San Jose)
10 — May 24, 2003 (4-0 win at New York)

FALL TO EARTH: Defending champion Carolina and preseason favorite Philadelphia fell back to reality — and to 1-5-0 — with home losses following road wins last week.

The Charge, 2-1 winners last week at New York, ran into longtime nemesis San Jose on Saturday. Brazilian forward Pretinha scored both goals — her first two-goal game in the WUSA — in a 2-0 CyberRays victory.

''She was world class tonight,'' cooed CyberRays coach Ian Sawyers. ''Her touches were great. Her movement off the ball was great. She was attacking off the dribble and was difficult to contain.''

San Jose is 5-1-2 against Philadelphia. It has shut out the Charge in four of their past five meetings — including a 1-0 victory in the season-opener at Spartan Stadium — and has outscored Philly, 12-3, in seven games dating to June 2001.

BEST GOAL: Carolina's attempt to put together a winning streak — or even an unbeaten streak — fell victim to rookie Aly Wagner's finest WUSA performance Saturday. Wagner, the No. 1 pick in February's draft, was masterful in control of the Spirit attack in San Diego's 2-1 triumph.

Shouldering more offensive responsibility in injured star Shannon MacMillan's absence, Wagner took six of the Spirit's 13 shots and netted her first WUSA goal.

The 78th-minute winner arrived two minutes after Danielle Fotopoulos pulled the Courage level. A Zhang Ouying lob into space found Julie Fleeting on the right flank at the top of the box. The Scotswoman, her back to the net, rolled a pass Wagner's way, into the semicircle.

Wagner took the ball with a pirouette, which shielded Tiffany Roberts away, then chipped it with her right foot, a 19-yard shot that split Roberts and Nel Fettig and beat diving Kristin Luckenbill inside the left post.

''It was a back-breaking goal,'' Fotopoulos said afterward. ''A big dagger.''

San Diego, at 3-1-3, is off to its best start.

MIA ON TOP: Hamm's five points Saturday positioned atop the WUSA scoring chart with 16 points, from six goals and four assists (in six games). Atlanta's Maribel Dominguez and Boston's Maren Meinert are one point off the lead (each with six goals and three assists).

EMPTY STADIUMS: The five worst crowds in WUSA history (all at Mitchel Athletic Complex):

1 — 2,348 (Philadelphia at New York, May 13, 2001)
2 — 3,104 (Philadelphia at New York, June 7, 2001)
3 — 3,165 (Philadelphia at New York, May 17, 2003)
4 — 3,182 (Carolina at New York, May 6, 2001)
5 — 3,507 (Boston at New York, May 10, 2003)

WUSA SUMMARIES WEEK 8: No place like road

May 24 at Cary, N.C.
CAROLINA (1-5-0, 3 points) 1 SAN DIEGO (3-1-3, 12 points) 2.
Goals: Fotopoulos (Lehn) 76; Foudy pen. 45, Wagner (Fleeting, Zhang) 78.
Att.: 5,809.

May 24 at Uniondale, N.Y.
NEW YORK (3-5-0, 9 points) 0 WASHINGTON (5-1-1, 16 points) 4.
Goals: Hamm (Wambach, Mullinix) 8, Hamm pen. 41, Stoecker (Wambach, Hamm) 44, Zimny (Wambach) 89.
Att.: 5,347.

May 24 at Villanova, Pa.
PHILADELPHIA (1-5-0, 3 points) 0 SAN JOSE (4-3-0, 12 points) 2.
Goals: Pretinha (Barnes, Chastain) 40, Pretinha (Clemens, Sissi) 61.
Att.: 5,517.

May 24 at Boston
BOSTON (3-3-2, 11 points) 1 ATLANTA (4-1-2, 14 points) 3.
Goals: Mellgren (Meinert, Aldama) 38; Hooper (Sawa) 10, Hooper (Dominguez) 33, Sawa (Hooper, Parlow) 68.
Att.: 3,518.