Philadelphia ? Mia Hamm never would say it, so it was left to her coach and teammates to step in. Women’s 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.”

The United StateS' Julie Foudy, center, celebrates with teammate Cindy Parlow (12) and Shannon Boxx (7) after Parlow's second-half goal. The U.S. defeated Nigeria, 5-0, in a World Cup soccer game Thursday night in Philadelphia.

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