The drawn-out process of Tribune Co. selling the Chicago Cubs may not end until midseason or later, the team's senior vice president said yesterday, in part because Wrigley Field first must be sold off.

Crane Kenney told attendees of the team's annual fan convention that new Tribune owner Sam Zell wants 94-year-old Wrigley in the hands of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority -- the same state agency that funded stadiums for the Bears and White Sox -- before he accepts bids for the Cubs.

Kenney said such a move is designed to "bind" the team's next owner to keeping the Cubs playing at Wrigley -- which also would receive maintenance and improvement funds.

"We'd like to find a new owner to play at Clark and Addison [streets] for the foreseeable future," Kenney said.

Selling the team to the stadium authority "would put aside a substantial amount of money" for necessary changes at Wrigley.

"We want to get the stadium deal done by opening day," Kenney said. "The sale of the team would follow. I've been asked when that will occur, and it's just really hard to predict."

Shannon Boxx scored on a looping header in the 77th minute and the United States beat China, 1-0, to win the Four Nations Tournament. The Americans -- undefeated in the three-game tournament -- kept attacking and eventually Boxx headed the ball over the goalkeeper from 11 yards out. Canada finished third after a long-range goal by Jodi-Ann Robinson in the fourth minute of stoppage time for a 1-1 draw with Finland.

• Sulley Muntari scored in the 90th minute to give host Ghana a 2-1 win against Guinea in the opening match of the African Cup of Nations in Accra, Ghana. Morocco will face Namibia in the other group match today.

Russia defeated Poland in five sets in Halle, Germany, to qualify for the Beijing Olympics in women's volleyball. Russia won, 25-23, 25-22, 11-25, 22-25, 15-12 for first place in the European qualifying tournament. Only the winner qualified.

John Kelai of Kenya defended his title and Mulu Seboka of Ethiopia set a course record at the Mumbai Marathon in India. Kelai finished in 2 hours, 12 minutes and 22 seconds, followed by Tariku Jufar of Ethiopia in 2:12:28. Seboka set the record in the women's event in 2:30:03, ahead of Irene Kemunto (2:32:51) of Kenya.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins fell to the host Hershey Bears, 3-1. Andrew Gordon, Joe Motzko and Jason Morgan scored for the Bears. Center Kurtis McLean scored the lone goal for the Penguins.

Roy Jones Jr. was too fast, even in a fight that happened several years too late. Jones punched his way to a unanimous decision over Felix Trinidad late Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York, dominating a 170-pound matchup between two iconic boxers. Jones knocked down Trinidad in the seventh and 10th rounds.