German aspirations of becoming a formidable contender at the World Cup in two years' time received a significant boost following a dynamic performance against the Netherlands, which earned the praise of coach Julian Nagelsmann. He expressed satisfaction with the "next step in development" for his team, who secured a 2-2 draw with their Dutch counterparts in the Nations League on Tuesday. Since their triumph in Brazil a decade ago, Germany has lost some of its luster, suffering disappointing performances in the last two World Cups. They faced a crisis last year when Hansi Flick was dismissed and Nagelsmann assumed the reins, and although showing signs of improvement, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the European Championship they hosted earlier this year. The 2026 World Cup in North America is still far off, but Nagelsmann is focusing on each match as an opportunity for growth. "There is an understanding that every game holds importance," he remarked after they rallied from conceding their earliest goal in 50 years, scored by the Dutch within 100 seconds at the Johan Cruyff Arena. "We have the Nations League now, the qualifiers next year, and then hopefully the World Cup. We have 18 games remaining until then - if everything goes according to plan." The team's self-belief is crucial, and that is what everyone wants to see. "Today, we witnessed a team that was determined to win," he told reporters. The coach was especially pleased with how the Germans responded after falling behind early in the game. "The manner in which we recovered was very good. It took us five or six minutes, but then we were fully in the game." However, there is still much work to be done following an exhilarating match in Amsterdam. "Both defenses were too susceptible, but offensively, we were stronger, attempted to create more opportunities, and took a bit more risk." In the early stages of the second half, we tried a little too hard and perhaps were a bit too aggressive in our tackles." Germany kicked off their new Nations League campaign with a 5-0 victory over Hungary in Düsseldorf on Saturday. They will next face Bosnia away on October 11, followed by a rematch with the Dutch in Nations League Group A3 in Munich on October 14.