Milbrett Lifts U.S. Women With Second-Half Goal

The U.S. women’s soccer team treated Tuesday’s match against Canada as much more than just another exhibition.

Tiffeny Milbrett’s goal in the 77th minute gave the defending World Cup champions and Olympic silver medalists a 1-0 victory at Blaine, Minn., and ended their four-game winless streak against Canada.

“My emotions and arousal level were as high today as they were for any game in the Olympics,” U.S. Coach April Heinrichs said. “We don’t want any team to believe they can consistently beat us.”

The U.S. was tied by Canada, 2-2, Saturday at Toronto in the opener of the two-game Independence Day series to drop to 0-2-2 in the last four games against Canada. The U.S. leads the overall series, 23-3-2.

The World Health Organization hopes Japan will join South Korea in banning tobacco from next year’s World Cup.

South Korean Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo said his country has completed its agreement with the WHO to bar the use and advertising of tobacco, a prohibition similar to the one at the Sydney Olympics.

He said Japan, its co-host for soccer’s World Cup, has indicated it also would impose the ban.

Boxing

Promoter Don King is offering $12.5 million to Lennox Lewis for a court-ordered rematch against Hasim Rahman, the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation heavyweight champion.

The offer was disclosed at a news conference to promote King’s Aug. 5 card in Beijing, where John Ruiz will defend the World Boxing Assn. heavyweight title against Evander Holyfield.

Oscar De La Hoya’s unanimous decision over Javier Castillejo of Spain for the WBC super-welterweight title last month garnered 400,000 pay-per-view buys, the most this year for TVKO, a unit of HBO.

With a suggested retail price of $40, the June 24 broadcast raised about $16 million, according to a statement released by HBO.

Pro Basketball

Free agent Chris Webber of the Sacramento Kings said he has been contacted by 12 to 15 NBA teams since Sunday and has no idea where he will play next season.

In an interview with the Sacramento Bee, Webber said he will take his time deciding where he wants to play.

Webber is eligible to re-sign with the Kings for more than $120 million over seven years. Only a handful of teams can offer Webber close to that amount, and at least two--the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls--appear to be out of the running.

Tyrone Hill has decided to stay with the Philadelphia 76ers for the remaining two years of his contract, his agent said.

Hill, 33, had considered opting out of his contract so he could get a deal that covered more than just the next two seasons.

Miscellany

After nine days at sea in the 41st Transpacific Yacht Race to Honolulu, Jim Warmington’s Aloha Division entry, Shanakee II out of Balboa, is the first to reach the two-thirds point in its 2,225-mile journey.

It appears that Shanakee II, with its six-day head start against the faster Division I boats, will be first to reach the finish at Diamond Head after averaging 211 miles the last two days.

The Avengers waived quarterback Erik Wilhelm after he became angry about not playing in the Arena football team’s June 23 game at Arizona and publicly criticized the coaches.

Harry Leons was recalled from the team’s practice squad to replace Wilhelm.

The state attorney in Florida has decided not to pursue charges against University of Florida football player Jabar Gaffney, who was accused of beating up a boy who was trying to steal his motor scooter. . . . Shalicia Hurns of the Purdue women’s basketball team was cited for underage drinking, police in West Lafayette, Ind., said.

The Loyola Marymount women’s basketball team will play Oregon State on Nov. 9 at Corvallis, Ore., in the first round of the Women’s Preseason NIT. . . . Receiver Chris Daniels, who sat out last season because of a broken collarbone, was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Michael Johnson, a five-time Olympic gold medalist, plans to end his running career in Japan, anchoring a medley relay in a Sept. 15 meet.

Johnson will compete in the Goodwill Games in Australia in August and then run the closing 400-meter relay leg in Yokohama, said Yukio Seki, a spokesman for the Japan Amateur Athletics Federation.

The British rally championship horse racing series was canceled for the first time in its 43-year history because of foot-and-mouth disease. . . . The United States and Japan tied, 6-6, at Numata, Japan, in the first round of their annual college golf championship. The U.S. leads Japan, 18-7, in the series, which began in 1975.