LARISSA, Greece - Ioannis Fetfatzidis scored in the 63rd minute, taking advantage of a defensive miscue, to give Greece a 1-0 win over Canada in exhibition soccer play Wednesday.
Defender Adam Straith misplayed a cross right into the path of the diminutive midfielder who hammered the ball into the top corner with his left foot.
Canada came on in the dying minutes but was unable to pull even. And then with Canada pressing and goalkeeeper Milan Borjan up in the offensive zone, the Greeks almost scored into the empty net from just inside the Canadian half -- only to have the ball roll just wide of the post.
Dwayne De Rosario came close to tying it in the 74th minute, forcing veteran Greek 'keeper Costas Chalkias to tip a long-range free kick over the bar. Rob Friend headed a corner just wide in the 87th minute.
After an even first 45 minutes, the Greeks came on in waves in the second half and had several good scoring opportunities before the goal came.
Canada coach Stephen Hart said he was pleased with the team overall, but urged his players not to rush their final pass.
"We were in control in the first half and they didn't give us much trouble," Hart said. "But in the second half we were under pressure, the Greeks moved the ball around well ... We came back in the last 15 minutes be we couldn't get the goal we needed."
Greece, the former European champion, is ranked 10th in the world compared to No. 80 for Canada.
"We're a young team and it will take us some time to gel," Greece defender Giorgos Tzavelas said. "But we showed some cohesion tonight and we're getting better with each game."
Midfielder Atiba Hutchinson captained Canada for the first time at the senior level. Panathinaikos FC midfielder Georgios Karagounis wore the armband for Greece.
Canada dodged a bullet in the 48th minute when substitute Kostantinos Mitroglou got around Borjan and raked a cross back that just missed a Greek teammate.
In the 56th, Borjan had to stop another Mitroglou rush.
Borjan, who won his first cap for Canada, started for the injured Lars Hirschfeld.
The 23-year-old Borjan, who plays his club soccer for FK Rad in Serbia, is eligible to play for Canada as a result of the time he spent in the country after his family was forced to flee Croatia during the Yugoslav wars.
Defender David Edgar and midfielder Tosaint Ricketts came on in the second half to win their first Canadian caps.
The game marked the first in the Canadians' new Umbro strip.
Canada's next game is scheduled for March 29, with the opponent and European location yet to be announced.
