The new national team coach Pia Sundhage, who returned home last year after taking charge of the US team for several years, decided to let her players tackle the male youth team for Stockholm football club AIK.

Within 30 minutes, the boys had plucked one goal from the women, despite Sundhage asking the AIK under-17 team to take out one of its defenders and play with only 10 players on the field, reports the tabloid Aftonbladet.

“I wasn’t told about that until after the game,” national team defender Sara Thunebro told the newspaper.

“We had our hands full during the game.”

Sundhage, who won coach of the year at the recent FIFA Ballon d’Or gala, often matched her American women against male players when she coached the US squad.

When she herself played, Sundhage’s teams occasionally played against a male team, whose speed presents a challenge that is helpful in training.

“They were strong and aggressive,” 15-year-old Ilija Jurkovic told Aftonbladet.

“Lina Nilsson was hot on my heels but I won out by being a bit faster.”

The AIK boys ending beating their older, female colleagues 3-0.

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