Fortunately for Real Salt Lake, one game does not a season make.

But Saturday's lackluster performance in their season opener did nothing to answer tough questions that dogged Jason Kreis' team throughout a very, very quiet offseason.

Where will the goals come from?

Every team in the West except for expansion San Jose outscored RSL. Salary considerations led to the dismissal of forwards Fabian Espindola and Kenny Deuchar, and the team finds itself woefully lacking depth up top now.

Yura Movsisyan is part of the solution.

Although he bears the burden of high expectations, it's easy to forget that he's only 21 years old. With a dozen career goals in fewer than one season's worth of minutes, he needs to start every week to build his confidence -- the goals will come.

The same applies to strike partner Robbie Findley, who is only 23. Despite different builds and styles, both are streaky scorers. Let them play.

The only potential upgrade in the offseason was Argentine Luis Escalada -- and it takes time for most imports to adjust to MLS. Time will tell if he can be used as the game-changing substitute off the bench.

Which quartet of midfielders gives RSL the best chance to control a game's tempo?

The brain trust has a problem here.

Clint Mathis, Javier Morales, Andy Williams, Kyle Beckerman and Will Johnson are all good enough to play every day in MLS -- but no combination of them will get this team to the MLS Cup.

Johnson and Beckerman embody the tenacious two-way midfield that most MLS minds covet. Morales personifies the attack-minded center mid, as his 15 assists in 2008 attest.

But Mathis and Williams don't excel on the flank -- and don't defend enough.

There's no answer on the bench -- and scarcely any depth here either after losing Dema Kovalenko and Nathan Sturgis this winter.

Who is the fourth defender?

Kreis and general manager Garth Lagerwey have great faith in core defenders Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers and Chris Wingert. They are "iron man"-type players to build around.

But left back Ian Joy is the team's greatest liability. Second-year player Tony Beltran may provide an attacking mirror image to Wingert, but still has a lot to learn defensively.

The team made a major investment in Robbie Russell last summer, and when he is healthy, he needs to be in the starting 11.

Will Chris Seitz ever play?

Nick Rimando will once again be criticized for failing to parry Fredy Montero's long-range blast on Saturday night. But it's misguided.

More often than not, Rimando will be in the right place, and his athleticism will make up for his lack of height.

There is no point in turning over the most important position on the field to Seitz, who, for all his potential, has basically sat out two entire seasons and will face a learning curve whenever he enters the starting lineup.

So, will this team improve upon last year?

It depends on how you define "last year." Ten wins, 10 losses and 10 ties were perfectly and symmetrically mediocre. The postseason run perhaps gave many observers a false sense of optimism entering 2009.

Competition in Major League Soccer increases dramatically every year, so continuity is good. Standing still, however, is unforgivable.

Saturday's loss notwithstanding, RSL is on pace to tread water.

A championship contender?

They still haven't answered the big questions.

Steve Pastorino is the former general manager of Real Salt Lake and an occasional contributor to The Salt Lake Tribune.