Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis didn't waste time with civilities as he sat down for the postgame press session Saturday.

"Questions?" he said curtly.

There was a slight pause. Then someone launched into a question, but almost before it began, Kreis interrupted.

"You're gonna ask me what?" he said. "You're gonna ask me, 'Just like last year, right?"'

Not exactly.

But come to think of it, not an altogether bad idea.

Not that, you know, anyone's keeping track. Except maybe those who were at Rice-Eccles Stadium last year, when RSL tied in its season-opener, thanks to a stoppage time goal by FC Dallas.

This year Real had the lead again, all wrapped up, ready to leave a winner on opening day for the first time in club history. But then the old bugaboo struck.

This year it was international star Blanco's shot in the added time that forced a 1-1 draw with Chicago and ruined what had been an impressive first-day performance.

"A special player makes a special play," said Kreis, "and I don't think he did anything else the whole game — other than whine."

So it goes. Different Real Salt Lake, different attitude, different year.

So why does it feel so ... familiar?

Truthfully, there did seem to be a change this year. Unlike last season, when RSL regularly failed to play out its matches, and usually got beat statistically, that wasn't the case on Saturday. Salt Lake outshot the Fire (17-8) and got four times as many shots on goal (8-2). It spent the bulk of its time on Chicago's side of the field, attacking as though it meant business.

"I thought we played all-soccer," said Kreis.

That's what made it fairly weird. Never mind Real's only score was a goal in the 71st minute. It actually looked as though the team that has only eight of 28 players back from last year had pulled a switcheroo. It didn't run and hide. It didn't look like someone headed for the gallows.

It behaved like a team that expected to win.

"The reaction (last year) was 'Here we go again,"' said Kreis, who began last season on the roster. This year, he said, he expects a "very good reaction (next week). We're going to take the game to them."