PHILADELPHIA - Mia Hamm never would say it, so it was left

to her coach and teammates to step in.

Soccer's career scoring leader was unstoppable for the second

straight World Cup game, scoring two early goals, then setting up

one in the second half as the United States routed Nigeria 5-0

Thursday night.

It was vintage Hamm before 31,553 fans who saw her increase her

international goals total to 144 and her World Cup count to eight.

With 12 assists, she has more points than any other player in the

women's tournament.

``That was Mia at her best,'' coach April Heinrichs said as the

Americans moved to the top of Group A with six points. They need

only a tie Sunday with North Korea to win the group and advance to

the quarterfinals. Sweden beat North Korea 1-0 Thursday.

``As a playmaker, a goal scorer, a leader, she understands the

importance of trying to take the wind out of their sails.''

Hamm was the hurricane in that regard. She converted a penalty

kick in the sixth minute with a shot low to the right corner after

Cindy Parlow was knocked down in the area by Nigerian captain

Florence Omagbemi.

In the 12th, she sent a 35-yard free kick on a majestic arc and

goalkeeper Precious Dede could only get her fingertips on it as the

ball settled into the net.

``Honestly, I was trying to serve the box,'' Hamm said.

Two minutes later, Hamm nearly had a hat trick - her twisting

shot from the left wing barely missed. She also hit the goal post

in the second half.

``I think Mia's at the top of her game, for sure right now,''

Parlow said. ``She's played great. She's given this team so much.''

She gave it even more two minutes into the second half as Parlow

got her second goal of the tournament. It was an almost exact

duplicate of her goal against Sweden as she headed home Hamm's

precise corner kick.

``It was important for our team and our goal, which was to get

three points and be a team that plays hard for 90 minutes,'' said

Hamm, who has played in all four Women's World Cups.

Abby Wambach, Hamm's teammate with the WUSA champion Washington

Freedom, scored her first World Cup goal in the 65th minute on a

perfect cross from Kristine Lilly. Julie Foudy connected on a

penalty kick in the 89th.

Nigeria coach Sam Okpodu didn't think it was a fair battle. He

complained loudly about the officiating after his team was

eliminated.

``Horrible. Horrible,'' he said. ``They wanted to take the game

away from us, the refs did. It's a shame there was a third party

who took the game away from us.''

Nigeria, which lost to North Korea in its opener, saw defender

Bunmi Kayode taken off on a stretcher in the final moments, her

head immobilized, after she collided with Wambach. Okpodu said she

had a cut eye, but could not elaborate on any other injuries.

Nigeria plays Sweden in the other part of Sunday's doubleheader

at Columbus, Ohio.

In their previous two meetings, the United States won 7-1 in the

1999 World Cup and 3-1 in the 2000 Olympics. This one never was in

doubt, either.

``This was a great win,'' said Foudy, who like Hamm has scored

in each World Cup. ``But I know there is another level we can get

to.''