Claudio Reyna will continue to fly Sunderland's World Cup flag today when the United States aim to add Germany to their list of glamorous scalps.

Reyna is the last Sunderland player still involved in the finals and he has been an integral part in America's march on the last eight.

The midfielder enjoyed a four-year footballing education in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg in the 1990s before moving to Rangers.

But after Portugal and Mexico were dumped out by the US, Reyna wants to put his inside knowledge to good use and help to complete a famous hat-trick in Ulsan today.

Reyna, 28, said: "I had a great time in Germany because it was the beginning of my professional career.

"I learnt a lot about the Bundesliga and the physical side of the game, and it was an important time for me.

"I am very familiar now with the players, I speak the language well and I spent a major part of my life there, so it's a place I'll never forget."

Reyna reckons the States have been wrongly accused of being defensive, citing their 3-2 win over Portugal as evidence of their attacking options and intentions.

Germany beat Paraguay 1-0 in a dour game on Saturday, prompting fears that today's encounter could be a similarly turgid match.

But Reyna, the US captain, added: "We do need to defend well again, that's been key to us, but we have also still searched for goals.

"People have said we're too defensive, but If you look at all of our games we've created some good chances. And seven goals in the World Cup is not defensive to me.

"We are just playing to our strengths and we have to be positive about them."

l Reyna's Sunderland teammate Thomas Sorensen last night wished England well - and joked that he gave them a helping hand into the last eight.

Sorensen had a nightmare against England, spilling Rio Ferdinand's early header into the net and then failing to get down to save Emile Heskey's shot.

The goalkeeper said: "No doubt I'll get plenty of stick when I get back to Sunderland for the mistake which led to Rio Ferdinand's goal.

"But at least I'll be able to tell the lads that I helped England get through to the quarter-finals!"

He added: "In hindsight, I should have pushed Ferdinand's header away. But I suppose being a perfectionist, I tried to grab hold of it, and I wasn't able to do so.