MANILA, Philippines - For the first 30 minutes, Stallion Sta. Lucia FC appeared in control of Loyola Meralco Sparks and on its way to its first title in the United Football League.
But a 30-minute downpour delayed the game and the Stallion lost its momentum upon the resumption of the match, blowing a one-goal lead and allowing Loyola to escape with a 1-1 draw.
The draw also gave the Global FC a chance to snatch the UFL League First Division crown at the Emperador Stadium in McKinley Tuesday night.
Korean Lee Joo Young gave the Ernest Nierras-mentored Stallion side, which was seeking a victory that would have clinched them their first League crown, the early 1-0 lead with a 17th minute goal and the momentum.
But heavy rains rendered the field unplayable and forced organizers to halt the match for about an hour.
When play resumed, Stallion was far from its old self and never scored from there as Fil-Brit James Younghusband came through with the equalizer on the second minute of injury time for the standoff.
Stallion will thus end the League with 46 match points on 15 wins and a draw against two losses, or six points ahead of closest pursuer and defending champion Global FC with 40 points on 13 triumphs and a standoff against two losses.
The Dan Palami-managed Global side, however, will have a chance to catch up on Stallion if it could sweep its last two matches against LBC-backed Kaya FC today and Phl Army FC next week.
A draw or a loss by Global would mean Stallion will run away with its second title in a year after topping the UFL Cup last year.
In the other First Division match, Green Archers United-Globe downed Nomads FC, 4-1.