ATHENS, Greece – An hour after the game, Mia Hamm was still on the field, hugging, crying, and posing for pictures with an Olympic gold medal around her neck.

Then, finally, she left.

After 17 years, 153 goals and 266 games – including a grueling overtime finale – it was time for her to go.

“There are few times in your life where you get to write the final chapter the way you want to,” Hamm said. “I think a lot of us did that tonight.”

Hamm and the rest of the Fab Five had just enough left in their thirty something bodies for one more triumph in their final tournament together. Led by two goals from the next generation, the United States beat Brazil 2-1 yesterday to claim the Olympic title.

Abby Wambach, the player who might break Hamm’s records one day, scored the game-winning goal in the 112th minute with a powerful 10-yard header off a corner kick from Kristine Lilly. It was Wambach’s fourth goal of the Athens Games and 18th in her last 20 games.

The game marked the final competitive appearance together for the remaining players from the first World Cup championship team in 1991. The five helped bring their sport to national prominence and captured the country’s imagination by winning the World Cup in 1999, and together they have played in 1,230 international matches.

Hamm, Julie Foudy, and Joy Fawcett are retiring from the national team – although they might play in farewell exhibitions this fall – leaving Lilly and Brandi Chastain as the last of the old guard. Hamm plans to start a family with her husband, Chicago Cubs shortstop Nomar Garciaparra.

“I talked about feeling good about where I was in my life, and this is a great way to end it,” Hamm said.

The retiring players left happy with the final result, but they might never want to watch a replay of a game that showed it was perhaps time for them to hang it up.

The Americans were slower, less organized, less creative, and lost the chase to most of the loose balls against the young Brazilians, who weren’t afraid to shove the U.S. stars around.

Pretinha scored for Brazil in the 73rd off of a rebound, and the Brazilians twice hit the post later in regulation, coming within inches of what would have been the winning goal.

“I think today, Brazil was the better team,” coach Rene Simoes said.”We deserved to win.”

What Brazil lacked, though, was the passion of a group of players determined to give their heroes a proper send-off.

Hamm was a non-factor throughout the game, unable to find space to make the kind of runs that made her famous. Hamm’s post-game speech in the locker room was a great big “Thank you” to her teammates.

“They carried me tonight, that’s for sure,” the 32-year-old Hamm said.

The U.S. team was rescued by Wambach, some great saves from Scurry, and a stunning 39th-minute goal from Lindsay Tarpley, whose 24-yard drive skirted two defenders and curled just inside the left post.

When the final whistle blew, Hamm was quickly swarmed by all 17 teammates. The team then took a victory lap, waving flags to the crowd of 10,416 at Karaiskaki Stadium.

Brazil received its first women’s soccer medal after finishing fourth at the last two Olympics. Germany, which beat Sweden 1-0 in the third-place game, took the bronze.