The NWSL championship

will play out today in Orlando as North Carolina takes on Portland.

Portland Thorns playmaker Tobin Heath would have preferred to play for the National Women’s Soccer League title against some of her closest friends.

Heath, a star on the U.S. women’s national team, has tight bonds with Orlando Pride players and recently stayed at goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris’ Orlando home.

Portland (14-5-5, 47 points), however, earned a 4-1 win over Orlando in the NWSL semifinals and now is set to take on the North Carolina Courage (16-7-1, 49 points) for the league championship today at Orlando City Stadium. Lifetime will begin its coverage of the match featuring some of the top stars in the women’s game at 4:30 p.m.

“It’s really unfortunate we had to play Orlando in the semifinals because I think it could have been a really special game playing against them here at this incredible stadium,” Heath said. “They’re a very strong team.

“We really appreciate the way Orlando has embraced women’s soccer and I think it’s going to be a great game with North Carolina.”

Heath returned for the final two games of the regular season and a postseason surge after suffering a significant preseason back injury. In her absence, Portland pushed to adapt to players cycling in and out of the lineup.

The motivation never wavered amid all the changes, with the Thorns determined to avenge a painful loss on their home pitch to

the Western New York Flash in last year’s NWSL semifinals.

“We have unfinished business,” Heath said.

Coach Mark Parsons said he felt some questionable calls led to the final Western New York goal and his players have been committed to getting back something they felt they deserved last season.

The Courage, meanwhile, had to adapt to relocating from Western New York and adopting a new name after the franchise was sold. The players had to adjust to life away from the Rochester, N.Y., an area that had long supported women’s soccer.

Midfielder McCall Zerboni credited coach Paul Riley and the rest of the North Carolina staff for helping the team deliver results on the pitch.

“We had a lot of success in our environment in New York last year,” midfielder McCall Zerboni said. “And to be taken away from that and to go through all those changes could have been a really difficult thing. But not for this group. That’s because of Paul and our staff. It doesn't matter where we are. You could put us anywhere, but it's the culture we create and the people we have. It's the standard we set — it's the strength, the core of the unit.”

Riley is pleased his team will get a chance to play for a title in Florida.

Orlando City Stadium is a natural grass pitch just like the one the Courage play on in North Carolina. He said the ball moves fast on the pitch and it suits his athletic lineup well.

“We also hope Orlando fans remember that Portland knocked them out and cheer for us instead,” Riley said.

Rising U.S. women’s national team playmaker Sam Mewis, Abby Dahlkemper, Abby Erceg, Taylor Smith and Jaelene Hinkle join 2016 NWSL MVP Lynn Williams to anchor a potent North Carolina lineup.

The gritty Courage will face off against Christine Sinclair, Amandine Henry, Meghan Klingenberg, Lindsey Horan, Nadia Nadim, Adrianna Franch and Heath, who headline the Thorns’ star-studded roster.

Parsons said he sees Orlando City Stadium as a bit of an edge for his side as well.

“The faster and more furious the game is, it definitely suits us,” he said.

The Thorns recorded a 0-0 draw against the Pride three weeks ago and his team used it as a sort of scouting trip, making everything very familiar for their trip to the title game.

The Portland grounds crew has watered the team’s artificial turf heavily to help emulate the speed of the ball at Orlando City Stadium.

“It’s going to be fun,” Parsons said. “Two great, physical teams who will not quit.”