Unused Reyna '100%' despite sitting US draw

AL RAYYAN, Qatar -- United States attacker Giovanni Reyna said helium is "100 percent" steadfast contempt being an unused substitute successful the team's 1-1 draw with Wales to unfastened the World Cup.

Reyna, who has battled injuries for astir of the past year, featured successful Borussia Dortmund's last 3 games earlier the World Cup interruption and figured to beryllium a large contributor for the US astatine the tournament.

- Carlisle: On brink of monolithic win, US can't adjacent retired Wales
- Borden: Who feeds the USMNT? The navigator down the squad
- World Cup 2022: Brackets, fixtures, results, standings

"I consciousness truly good. I consciousness great," Reyna said. "I consciousness fine. [Coach Gregg Berhalter] doesn't person to archer maine wherefore helium didn't enactment maine successful oregon wherefore helium does."

Berhalter utilized his archetypal 4 substitutes to insert midfielder Brenden Aaronson, striker Haji Wright, right-back DeAndre Yedlin and midfielder Kellyn Acosta each with the US starring 1-0. He appeared to beryllium acceptable to sub successful center-back Aaron Long earlier Wales equalized done a Gareth Bale punishment successful the 82nd minute.

Despite Reyna's claims of afloat health, Berhalter, who brought connected Jordan Morris for Timothy Weah successful the 88th minute, said helium was taking a cautious approach.

"It was trying to get him up to speed. I deliberation determination was a small spot of tightness that we were guarding him against successful Al-Gharafa successful the grooming workout arsenic a precaution." Berhalter said. "But we've been gathering him up and deliberation helium tin play a large relation successful this tournament. The question is when. Hopefully Friday, he'll beryllium different measurement ahead."

The US has 3 days disconnected earlier it takes connected group-leader England connected Friday aft the Three Lions opened their tourney earlier connected Monday with an emphatic 6-2 win against Iran instrumentality power of Group B.

US skipper Tyler Adams besides said Reyna was acceptable to play against Wales and was optimistic helium could marque an interaction against England.

"We cognize the interaction helium tin marque erstwhile helium comes into games and erstwhile helium has the opportunity," Adams said. "So, erstwhile helium gets his chance, he'll instrumentality it."

Several players connected the US expressed disappointment astir leaving with the gully aft starring for astir of the game, but were mostly pleased with the wide performance.

"Things alteration truly rapidly successful football," Adams said. "Obviously, you person to alteration gears, retrieve arsenic rapidly arsenic imaginable for a large adjacent game. We cognize however overmuch prime England's gonna have. But again, we deliberation that we lucifer up good against them.

"We person an diversion team. We deliberation that against the shot we're truly ascendant astatine times. You saw that contiguous with our counter-pressing and however we're capable to make a batch of modulation moments."

Asked whether his squad would person clip to retrieve up of the lucifer with England, Berhalter said playing 1 of the tourney favorites was the lone information the US would need.

"You're getting to play England, that's the betterment close there, you get to play 1 of the teams that we deliberation is simply a favourite of the tournament," Berhalter said. "Road up is adjacent game. It's a beauteous abbreviated road."