CHESTER, Pa. — The United States, the top-ranked international team, qualified for the 2015 Women’s World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Mexico on Friday night at PPL Park.
Midfielder Carli Lloyd scored twice for the Americans, who will face Costa Rica on Sunday in the final of the qualifying tournament for the North American, Central American and Caribbean region.
Earlier Friday, Costa Rica also qualified by defeating Trinidad and Tobago, 3-0, in a penalty shootout after the game was tied at 1-1 through overtime.
Costa Rica became the first Central American team to qualify for a Women’s World Cup, which is expanding from 16 to 24 teams next summer in Canada.
Three teams from the region will qualify at this Concacaf tournament for the World Cup. Canada has automatic entry as the host. Trinidad and Tobago will face Mexico in the third-place game on Sunday for the final certain spot in the World Cup. The loser will enter a two-leg playoff next month against Ecuador.
On Friday, the United States did not start Abby Wambach, the leading international scorer, but immediately displayed the depth and creativity that could make this the strongest American team ever.
Unlike in previous qualifying matches, when the United States experienced early frustration against teams that bunkered in defense, the Americans scored in the sixth minute. Tobin Heath feathered an elegant cross from the left flank and Lloyd headed it into the net from about 10 yards.
In the 30th, Americans were awarded a penalty kick, perhaps undeservedly. Lloyd calmly shot low and left to put the United States ahead by 2-0 as Pamela Tajonar, Mexico’s goalkeeper, dived the wrong way.
In nine World Cup qualifying matches before this year, Lloyd had scored two goals. She can sometimes appear rushed and impatient. But she has scored four times in four games in this tournament.
The United States took a 3-0 lead in the 56th because of perseverance from Christen Press, who followed her own rebounded shot from about eight yards.
The final score might have been at least 5-0 but for the frustrations of Sydney Leroux, who hit the crossbar on a sitter and pinged a shot off the right post in the second half.
Christie Rampone, captain of the team, played in her 300th game for the United States and became only the second player to make so many international appearances. Rampone, 39, is the only holdover from the last American team to win the World Cup, in 1999.
Only the American Kristine Lilly, who played in 352 games from 1987 to 2010, has made more international appearances among men or women.
An article in some editions on Saturday about the United States women’s soccer team’s 3-0 victory over Mexico, which earned the team a spot in the Women’s World Cup, misidentified the Mexican goalkeeper who played in the match. She is Pamela Tajonar, not Cecilia Santiago.
An earlier version of a correction with this article misspelled the surname of the Mexican goalkeeper who played in the match. She is Pamela Tajonar, not Tojonar.