The turf was wet. The ball was slick. It was the first game of the season -- on the road, no less -- and Real Salt Lake kept fighting, improving with seemingly every passing minute from a poor first half in front of perhaps the most imposing crowd in Major League Soccer.

In other words, no need to panic.

That was the message from RSL as it prepares to meet the defending league champion Columbus Crew in its home opener at Rio Tinto Stadium on Thursday night, just five days after opening its season with a 2-0 loss to the exhibition Seattle Sounders that doused -- at least momentarily -- its hopes of a fast start after last season's roaring finish.

"We just have to be a little bit sharper in front of both goals," midfielder Will Johnson said. "Overall, we definitely can play a lot better."

Meeting the media at a luncheon at the stadium Monday while a tractor plowed snow off the field outside, coach Jason Kreis and general manager Garth Lagerwey emphasized that one game hardly changes the way they feel about the team they kept almost entirely together after its historic playoff run last season.

"Certainly, there's no reason to waver in our belief," Lagerwey said.

Indeed, Kreis said the team that used to hope and pray to win games now expects to win them, and "that's going to translate to success on the field." He also implored fans to attend the home opener despite the foreboding weather forecast -- cold temperatures, rain and perhaps snow -- after witnessing how big a difference the sellout crowd made in Seattle.

Most importantly, though, the players said there aren't any major problems they need to correct. They simply weren't quite on their game against the Sounders, and believe it won't take much to change all of that on national television against the Crew, which is coming off its second straight draw, on an own-goal in the 84th minute at home against Toronto.

"It seemed like we were just missing passes by inches, you know?" striker Robbie Findley said. "We just need to tune that up a little bit, and sharpen up in that area and I think we'll have no problems when we're here at home, in front of the fans."

mcl@sltrib.com