INDGE, N.H. - The translator cannot keep pace with the president of the Russian women's soccer association. Oleg Lapchin is impatient and shouts over the spoken English when new ideas come to mind. He interrupts. He interjects. He does not stop talking. His thick-rimmed glasses and frenetic speech give Lapchin the air of a mad scientist. To his right and left sit current national team players Marina Bourakova, Irina Grigorieva, and Natalia Barbachina. They are all part of the grand experiment that is Russian women's soccer.
With a program spurred by the new freedoms of perestroika then sidetracked by the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has brought together an unlikely collection for its first World Cup appearance. Athletes of all sizes - 10 players taller than 5 feet 8 inches - and sports backgrounds will compete this afternoon at Foxboro Stadium.
Playing sweeper, the 5-9 Bourakova stands out. She appears impossibly thin with a mop of dirty blonde hair obscuring her face as she runs to shore up the Russian defense. From the way she moves the back line upfield looking for an offside call, it's clear she understands her position and belongs as a starter. But her imperfect technique also gives the impression Bourakova has been transplanted onto the soccer field.
The 33-year-old mother and defender is a prime example of the Russian women's soccer philosophy: take accomplished athletes and make them soccer players.
''We believed that they could become top soccer players,'' Lapchin said. ''It gives us a sense of satisfaction that we're on the right track. It gives us a sense that this program can be successful with this method, since now we don't have a lot of players who were introduced to soccer at a young age. Watching Marina [Bourakova] and others like Irina [Grigorieva] and Natalia [Barbachina] who did not start with soccer become the core of the national team, I have peace of mind.''
Bourakova's husband, Serge, suggested she switch to soccer eight years ago. At the time, she was a competitive heptathlete with Olympic aspirations. Yet, her training made Bourakova an excellent all-around athlete with the key soccer attributes of speed, strength, and solid conditioning. Serge, himself a serious soccer player, felt his wife made a mistake choosing track and field. He thought Marina would enjoy a team sport more and told her so. Trusting her husband's advice, she left the heptathlon and started playing soccer for the first time at age 25.
Bourakova joined a local women's club team and soon her raw talent caught the attention of national team coaches. Grigorieva, considered Russia's best female player, tells a similar story, having been discovered playing field hockey. Leading scorer Barbachina, another track athlete, played soccer in between training sessions for fun until a coach encouraged her to take the sport more seriously.
''This generation of new talent happens to be very productive,'' said Grigorieva. ''They think quickly and can grasp soccer lessons quickly. This is one of the products of the program.''
Added Bourakova, ''When I try to analyze everything that has happened over a short period of time, only one thing comes to mind. It must be providence. However, I remember it was difficult at first. I had not planned this new career and I also had a young son. The demands of the national team were very tough and I had to choose between the team and everyday personal life with my family. My husband supported my new success, but many times my son asked me to finish with soccer.''
Bourakova keeps a rigorous travel schedule with the national team. Her husband takes care of their 11-year-old son, Alexander, while she carries a small picture of him on trips.
The Russian defender hopes she can fulfill her Olympic dreams through soccer. An appearance in the quarterfinals and top-seven finish in the 1999 Women's World Cup would make a trip to Sydney a reality. But the team's chances of advancing out of group play are considered slim.
While a start in track and transition to soccer makes a good story, it does not usually make technically sound players.
''Coming to football as an accomplished athlete and mature person at 25, she was very conscience of her shortcomings because she missed early schooling in soccer,'' said Russian coach Yuri Bystritski. ''Girls on other teams start when they are 7 or 8 years old. She lacks some technical skill, but it's the dedication that comes to mind first when I think about her.
''Outside matches, she sets a great example for the younger players with her professional attitude. Coming from an individual sport, people have a little different mentality because they feel more responsible for what they do. She brought that attitude along to soccer and she instills this professional attitude of self-discipline to all the players.''
The Russian women's soccer association is comfortable taking the good with the bad, the self-discipline with the technical deficiencies. National team planners have made a practice of mixing elements not normally perceived as combinations for success. The new women's soccer tradition is built from the proud, yet rigid, sporting tradition of the past. Players bring age and outside athletic experience to a young program. And so far, the grand experiment has struck the right chemistry.
