Abby Wambach scored for the third straight game and the United States beat Costa Rica 4-0 Monday night to win its first-round group in qualifying for next year's Women's World Cup.
Wambach scored her tournament-leading sixth goal when she converted a penalty kick in the 32nd minute. Lauren Cheney added a goal in the 68th, and the Americans also got goals from Yael Averbuch in the 73rd and Alex Morgan in the 81st.
The U.S. (3-0) outscored opponents 18-0 in the first round and meets Canada or Mexico in the semifinals for a berth in next year's Women's World Cup in Germany.
Costa Rica (2-1) finished second in Group B and also advanced to the semifinals. It will play the Group A winner - Canada needs only a tie against Mexico on Tuesday to finish first.
The winner of the third-place match also qualifies for the tournament.
