Although having the better of the territorial play, the Czechs could not break down their opponents who regularly surrounded any player on the ball with five or six men.
Greece also resorted to body checks and shirt-pulling around their own penalty area and, although there was a passionate atmosphere in the stadium, too much of the play was fragmented.
The Czechs made the brighter start and came close to scoring after three minutes when a powerful volley by midfielder Tomas Rosicky rattled the bar after Jan Koller headed on a free kick.
Otherwise, there were few chances in a tense opening period in which Greece attempted to shackle Koller and five-goal Milan Baros, the tournament's top scorer.
Dellas played as a sweeper while Michalis Kapsis attempted a marking job on Koller and right back Yourkas Seitaridis was detailed to do the same on Baros.
The tactics worked because chances were restricted and gradually Greece began to exert pressure of their own.
However, they only had one chance of note in the opening period after 29 minutes when striker Zisis Vryzas just failed to connect with a cross from Takis Fyssas.
Koller and Baros had chances to win the game for the Czechs in the dying minutes of normal time but both missed chances they will rue for a long time after Dellas's late winner.
"...in three years as coach and 30 matches we have conceded a goal from a corner for the first time and in the very last seconds," Czech coach Bruckener said. "It proves that the last minute is always a dangerous time."
For Greece, what was once a dream is now a shock reality -- with this summer's Athens Olympic Games still to come.
Superstar Collina retires
Pierluigi Collina refereed the last international match of his career when he took control of the Euro 2004 semifinal between the Czech Republic and Greece on Thursday.
The Italian, widely regarded as the best referee in the world, is 45 next February and so reaches the compulsory age for retirement at international level.
However his last international match ended in suitably dramatic style as Traianos Dellas headed in a silver goal winner in the dying seconds of the first-half of extra-time to give them an historic 1-0 victory.
The bald-headed Italian with the characteristic staring eyes refereed the 2002 World Cup final between Brazil and Germany but is bowing to German official Markus Merk in the final of Euro 2004 tomorrow.
Collina may be too old for UEFA and FIFA's liking, but he has been consistently linked with a role officiating matches in the English Premiership.
He has declined to comment on the rumors of a role in England.
The closest thing to a refereeing superstar that football has ever had, Collina is remembered for the way he handled the 1999 European Champions League final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich, when he consoled the weeping German players after they lost to two late goals.
"It is too easy to celebrate with the winners," Collina said. "It is more important to stay close to the losers. When you see someone crying it's normal to try to say something to them, even if it changes nothing."
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