ORLANDO, Fla. – A battle of the National Women’s Soccer League’s best teams will take place Saturday afternoon when the Orlando Pride (6-4-4, 22 points) host the North Carolina Courage (10-1-3, 33 points) for the second time in 2018.

The last time both teams met on May 23, the 4-3 decision came down to a 90th-minute, North Carolina goal. Minutes earlier, second-half sub Rachel Hill scored a third-goal equalizer before forward Jessica McDonald’s second goal of the match won the game for the Courage.

That Pride loss evened the all-time series between both teams, as each team has now won two games and lost two. Both teams are coming off opposite results, as Orlando lost 2-1 to the Houston Dash on June 27, and the Courage won 4-1 over Seattle Reign FC on June 23.

Here’s what to expect from the Courage when the Pride host them for the second time this season on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Lifetime.

North Carolina Has Lost a Game

When Orlando and North Carolina first met this season, the Courage were undefeated through their first nine games with a 7-0-2 record. Then the Courage beat the Pride and have since had a run of dominant performances.

However, there is one anomaly in North Carolina’s four matches since playing the Pride. On June 16, the Courage fell to Utah Royals FC 1-0 for their first loss of 2018. Royals forward Brittany Ratcliffe stunned North Carolina with a 94th-minute game-winner for her second goal of 2018.

North Carolina’s loss to Utah was its first shutout all season, as the Courage’s three draws have all had at least one goal scored for each team. Utah held strong against the league’s No. 1-scoring team, fending off a game-high 15 shots (four on-goal), four corners and 29 crosses.

For Pride boss Tom Sermanni, the Courage’s unbeaten streak had to come to an end eventually.

“I don’t think [North Carolina is more vulnerable]. I just think it’s really hard to keep winning, winning and winning,” Sermanni said after training Friday. “But they’ve managed to do it, and they’ve obviously created a great deal of separation from the rest of the league. And they’re still, obviously, playing with a lot of confidence.”

Hot Courage Keep Getting Hotter

North Carolina’s scoring form has, so far, been unmatched by any of the other eight teams in the NWSL. The Courage’s No. 1-ranking scoring offense has produced 28 goals in 14 matches. Orlando’s 21 goals in as many games is, so far, the second-most goals scored this season.

Over the past four matches, the 2017 expansion side has only improved its scoring. Save for the shutout against Utah, North Carolina has been remarkably dominant on the offensive side over its past four matches.

Since beating the Pride on May 23, North Carolina has had two four-goal performances, recording nine goals in the last four games. North Carolina, first, tallied a 4-1 win over Portland Thorns FC on May 30 and then most recently notched the three-goal win over Seattle.

In the Courage’s first 10 games, they had just two four-goal games: a 4-2 win over the Washington Spirit on April 14 and the narrow win over the Pride a little more than a month later.

“Yeah, I mean, obviously, they’re extremely fast up top, and I think that you just sort of have to out-smart them sometimes,” first-year Pride defender Carson Pickett said after training Friday. “When you have really athletic players, you have to think differently instead of, you know, running all around and playing their game.

“I think we just have to continue to play our game and, you know, go with what we know best.”

North Carolina Dominant in Almost Every Way

The Courage haven’t only dominated the league’s scoring category; they have also been one of the most consistently impressive defensive teams.

North Carolina’s 13 goals allowed is the third-fewest of any team in the league, trailing only second-place Seattle (12) and first-place Utah (10). Partly because of their defensive standing, the Courage have also produced a significant margin between their goal differential and the rest of the league’s.

Of the nine NWSL teams, North Carolina is the only side with a double-digit goal differential (plus-15). The next-best is the Pride’s plus-four goal differential.

The Courage have also made themselves midseason favorites for the 2018 NWSL Shield. With 33 points in hand, North Carolina has a double-digit lead over the second-place Pride and their 22 points.

“It’s going against the best players in the league, obviously,” Pickett said. “And, being first, it’s a really good opportunity to get out there and take down [the Courage]. I think it’s probably less pressure just because we know we have potential to beat them, and, you know, I feel as though every team is sort of the underdog at some point against North Carolina, but that makes it that much sweeter when you beat them.”

For more on the Pride, as they prepare for their second of three matchups with the Courage, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.

To contact Victor, you can email him at vtan@newdayreview.com, or you can tweet at him.