Soccer-Boca match abandoned, River's suspended due to rainstorm

BUENOS AIRES, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Resurgent Boca Juniors were 1-0 up against Racing Club looking for a third successive win when their match on Sunday at a rain-lashed La Bombonera was abandoned at halftime due to a waterlogged pitch. Leaders River Plate also had their match at Arsenal, which had been due to kick off later, suspended because of the torrential rain in the capital. Boca, with two wins under coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena since he took over from Carlos Bianchi, were looking to break into the top half of the Argentine first division standings but remain in mid-table. "The match shouldn't have started. The pitch was just as bad when it kicked off," Arruabarrena, who had wanted play to continue, told reporters after referee Federico Beligoy decided to abandon the match in the 57th minute. "But the state of the pitch could have produced injuries, in that I agree with the referee." Unbeaten River have 16 points from six matches with Independiente second on 15 from seven. Velez Sarsfield, who have taken one point from their last three matches after starting with four wins, and Lanus are joint third on 13 points. Velez, sorely missing the injured Lucas Pratto and his former strike partner Mauro Zarate who left for West Ham United, relinquished their second place to Independiente after going down 1-0 away to Belgrano in Cordoba. Belgrano coach Ricardo Zielinski was thrilled with the result in his 150th match in charge of the team and the fact it was won with a goal from 22-year-old midfielder Lucas Zalarayan, one of several youngsters he has been introducing. "We're making a generational change, we're thinking of the Belgrano of the future," said Zielinski, the longest standing coach in the first division, after his side's second win in three matches. Goalkeeper Diego Rodriguez converted two penalties and Boca discard Claudio Riano a second half brace as promoted Independiente notched their third successive win, 5-3 at home to Quilmes on Saturday. The score was 3-3 going into added time at the Libertadores de America stadium but Riano and Federico Mancuello, who took his goal tally to five, both scored in the dying minutes. The win lifted the Red Devils into second place ahead of next weekend's clash with leaders River at the Monumental. (Writing by Rex Gowar; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)