Greece |
1 - 0
This match has ended. Upcoming related matches:
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Canada |
Greece vs Canada Live Streams and TV Channels
| Country | Channels |
|---|---|
| International | FIFA.com |
| United States | FoxSoccer.tv »live stream |
| Other Countries | |
| Canada | Sportsnet One |
| Spain | GOL T |
| *Don't see your country or favourite channel listed? Let us know and we will include it. | |
Greece vs Canada Match Preview
Greece welcome Canada on Wednesday in an international friendly to be played in Larisa’s brand-new AEL FC Arena.
Giorgos Samaras retains his place in the Greece squad for the friendly against Canada
Fernando Santos’ side are in the midst of Euro 2012 qualifying and will use the match against the Canadians as a warm-up for next month’s qualifier against Malta. Greece currently lie in second place in Group F for Euro 2012 qualifying on 8 points, two behind leaders Croatia.
Canada meanwhile are putting together a side for the upcoming Gold Cup and 2014 World Cup qualifiers. Manager Stephen Hart has called up a strong side for the Greece friendly, selecting a squad of mostly foreign-based players. Heading the side are experienced stars such as Toronto FC’s Dwayne De Rosario and PSV’s Atiba Hutchinson.
Santos has stayed true to form with his squad selection calling up a mix of youth and experience. Despite a lack of playing time for club side Panathinaikos there is a place in the team for Giorgos Karagounis as well as Nikos Lymberopoulos who is now 35, but has impressed Santos with his displays for AEK during Greek Super League play this season. Yiannis Fetfatzidis and Giorgos Georgiadis, two of Greek soccer’s brightest young talents retain their places in the 22-man roster.
Panionios’ Dimitris Siovas is set to earn his first international cap and Santos has also kept trust in Siovas’ new teammate, Kostas Mitroglou, who has impressed for Panionios since moving to the club on a loan deal from Olympiakos. Long-term absentees Alexandros Tziolis and Giorgos Fotakis have not recovered from their injuries and remain out of the team and Olympiakos’ Avraam Papadopoulos has had to pull out of the squad in the run-up due to injury.
Canada’s squad also features a good mix of young and old. Hart seems focused on giving young talent a shot and has called up young goalkeeper Milan Borjan for the first time. Borjan along with Tosaint Ricketts and David Edgar are all set to take their international bow. In total, Hart has included five players from Canada’s 2007 FIFA World Cup U-20 side. 20-year-old defender Alex Straith has been called up again, though there is not a place yet for another 20-year-old, Blackburn’s David Hoilett. The striker is considered the brightest young player in the Canadian game today, however so far he has declined several call-ups to the national team as he struggles to choose between Canada and Jamaica, the other country he is eligible to play for.
Paul Stalteri, the country’s all-time caps leader with 84 international appearances was originally left out of the squad due to a lack of playing time with club team Borussia Moenchengladbach. However he has been drafted into the team after several players pulled out of the squad through injury including Kevin McKenna, Marcel De Jong, and Nik Ledgerwood.
Canada’s recent form has been good as Hart attempts to put together a side whose ultimate goal will be to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. With several experienced stars seemingly left with this last qualifying cycle in order to qualify for the World Cup along with several young players coming through the ranks, the prevailing wisdom is that this could be Canada’s best shot in a long time at building a team capable of making it to a World Cup.
Greece meanwhile are still a side in transition as Santos changes the entire philosophy of the national team from player selection to style of play. His successor Otto Rehhagel was the most successful Greek coach of all-time. Santos may have a lot to live up to, but he has received high marks thus far with the changes he has implemented. Ultimately, he too, like Canada’s Hart, will be judged on his ability to qualify for major tournaments (Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup).
This is the fourth time Greece and Canada face-off against one another. The teams met in a trio of friendlies back in May of 1988 in Montreal and Toronto with Greece winning the first two matches (1-0 and 3-0) and losing the third on penalties 4-2 after 90 minutes of scoreless play.
Greece vs Canada Videos
1-0 Fetfatzidis 63'
1-0 Fetfatzidis 63'
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