The Orlando Pride are all about being under control.

Whether it’s being in control during games with a high possession rate or controlling any negativity surrounding the team when results weren’t going their way.

With the team’s recent surge, Orlando has another element to control: its own destiny.

If Orlando wins the next five games, the Pride are guaranteed to make the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs.

“Now that we're in a playoff [position,] it's in our own hands, so every game is now the most important game of the season for us,” defender Kristen Edmonds said.

The final stretch of the season starts Saturday. Orlando (8-6-5, 29 points) goes on the road to face FC Kansas City (6-8-5, 23 points) at 3:30 p.m. at Swope Soccer Village. The game will be broadcast nationally on Lifetime.

It’s the third time this season the clubs faced each other. The two squads drew 1-1 on May 7 and the Pride won the second matchup 4-1 on July 15.

This is a different Orlando team from the previous contests.

The Pride are on a three-game win streak and sit in fourth place. Star Alex Morgan is scoring goals at will, but defensively, Orlando is playing its best soccer.

Full backs Edmonds and Steph Catley, along with center backs Ali Krieger and Monica, have formed a cohesive unit. They are contributing on the attacking end while keeping their shape defensively.

If Catley or Edmonds make forward runs, Krieger and Monica stay back. Rarely do both full backs go forward at the same time. One stays back with the two center backs, creating a formidable back three.

"Three at the back is our philosophy. I've been hammering it for the whole season,” Pride coach Tom Sermanni said. “And I think we're kind of at the stage where we're getting that stability there and that cohesion.”

With how attacking-minded Orlando is, it leaves them susceptible on the break. It’s a problem that manifested itself earlier in the season. Teams took advantage of how exposed they were at the back. Communication and knowledge of personnel fixed the issues.

“It takes awareness from the midfielders to see that if both Kristen and I have pushed on a bit, then a midfielder has to sit,” Catley said. “Or if Kristen has pushed on, then I have to sit, and it's kind of a real balancing act. It has to be someone tucking in if someone is going forward and I think that's something that we've really nailed in the last couple of weeks.”

Orlando has kept two clean sheets during the win streak and allowed just one goal. Keeping Kansas City forward Sydney Leroux off the scoresheet is no easy task. But the Pride defenders have succeeded in limiting her to no goals in the first two matchups.

“I think the first point is to be focused all the time because Leroux is smart, she knows what to do,” Monica said. “You have to be aware.”

The prospect of playing for the NWSL Championship at home weighs heavily on the team’s mind. In order for the Pride to play at Orlando City Stadium on Oct. 14 with a title on the line, they will have to take care of business the rest of the way.

“It's never nice leaving it up to other teams and waiting for results, especially with the team and the quality we have,” Catley said. “We should be able to do that and be able to make the [top] four in our own hands and our own way.”