WATER POLO : Kimball, U.S. Hold Off Canada, 11-8

Doug Kimball, the veteran member of the men’s national water polo team, helped the United States avert what would have been a major upset Thursday night.

With his team struggling, the 6-foot-9 defender scored his only goal in the fourth quarter, and the United States held on for an 11-8 victory over Canada in Alamo Cup ’93 at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach.

Canada, which lost its opener Wednesday to Cuba in the round-robin format, 15-6, played the United States about even until Kimball’s score with 4:07 to play made it 10-8. Alex Rousseau scored the final goal with 2:32 left.

“The key was that the team asked themselves, ‘Why are we letting them make a game of this?’ ” said U.S. Coach Rich Corso. “They scored some good goals on us early and we couldn’t get our fast break going.”

In other games Thursday:

Cuban Coach Osvaldo Garcia del Pozo said before his team’s match with Russia that he wanted revenge for an 11-3 beating in the world championships last month. But the Russians opened a 4-0 lead in the first period and held on for an 11-8 victory.

Greece jumped in front, 7-2, after two periods and cruised to an 11-5 victory over the United States B team. The B team is made up of collegiate players who are vying for a spot on the 13-man American roster at next month’s World University Games at Buffalo, N.Y.

The tournament moves to El Toro High tonight.