Finishing strong: Inter Miami's Tadeo Allende is playing his best soccer in the playoffs

Speedy right winger could break MLS record for postseason goals

Tadeo Allende's production in the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs has silenced his critics and answered, with a resounding "Yes!" whether he belongs in Inter Miami's starting lineup.

The 26-year-old Argentine scored his first career hat-trick Saturday in the Herons' 5-1 MLS Eastern Conference Championship victory against New York City FC, giving him eight goals and an assist this postseason. If Allende scores against Vancouver in the MLS Cup on Saturday, he will set the league record for most postseason goals in a single playoff tournament; Carlos Ruiz scored eight postseason goals for the 2002 MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy. That's quite an accomplishment from a player much of the fanbase wanted replaced most of the year.

Allende had 11 goals and an assist for Los Garzas in Major League Soccer's regular season, with 15 tallies in all competitions. Those numbers don't seem miserable, unless you watched Allende muff chance after chance after chance throughout the spring and summer. Although his athleticism gave the Herons' the defense-stretching presence they'd lacked, his mishits, missed shots, strong touches and inability to dribble around a fire hydrant made him by far the most frustrating player in Pink.

One Inter Miami podcast -- Battered Herons -- joked that Allende doesn't have a bag of tricks, he has a fanny pack. "He has one trick; run fast and shoot," host Danny Granada said -- often -- of Allende.

Allende started to find the net again in September, scoring four goals in the Herons' final seven matches (five wins, a loss and a draw) and adding one in Miami's first playoff match (in a best-of-three series) against Nashville SC. But he really began to peak in the must-win third match against the Coyotes; playing center forward in place of Luis Suarez, who was suspended, Allende scored twice and added an assist in the Herons' 4-0 win. He added two goals in another 4-0 win at FC Cincinnati before contributing three against New York City FC.

“To play this way and score these goals with the team playing a great game, it’s very satisfying,” Allende told reporters after the Eastern Conference championship, according to Major League Soccer. “… I’m enjoying it. It’s my first title [conference champion], my first hat trick as a professional, so I’m very happy.”

"I had tough times early, but now things are coming together at the best time."

Tadeo Allende

“I worked very hard for this moment,” Allende told reporters according to Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald. “I knew I would be able to redeem myself at any moment and I am very happy. I had tough times early, but now things are coming together at the best time. More important is that the team is winning.”

Allende is on loan from Celta Vigo, a Spanish first-division club, through the end of December. It's unknown whether the loan agreement includes an option to purchase Allende's contract, but César Luis Merlo, an Argentine soccer journalist and transfer expert, has reported that Inter Miami has begun negotiations to keep Allende in Pink & Black.

Published reports say Allende was noncommittal about his future when asked after Saturday's match about his plans.

“I don’t know — a lot of things can happen," he is reported to have said. "Right now, I just want to go celebrate and then see what happens. I have a final to play next weekend, and I’m focused on that.”

Argentine powerhouse River Plate also reportedly is interested in signing the winger, whom Transfermarkt currently values at €3 million.

While opinions on Allende's value may have been polarized over the summer, it's pretty clear right now that most Herons' fans would love to keep Allende in South Florida. Regardless, he has ensured his name will live in Inter Miami lore.