Jaiden Kucharski

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Jaiden Kucharski

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|6|25|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

| height =

| position = Winger

| currentclub = Sydney FC

| clubnumber = 25

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Glenwood Redbacks

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = FNSW SAP

| youthyears3 =

| youthclubs3 = Blacktown City

| youthyears4 =

| youthclubs4 = Sydney FC Youth

| years1 = 2018–

| clubs1 = Sydney FC NPL

| caps1 = 56

| goals1 = 31

| years2 = 2022–

| clubs2 = Sydney FC

| caps2 = 60

| goals2 = 7

| nationalyears1 = 2017–2018

| nationalteam1 = Australia U17

| nationalcaps1 = 9

| nationalgoals1 = 3

| club-update = 20 April 2025

| nationalteam-update = 19 August 2022

}}

Jaiden Kucharski (born 25 June 2002) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Sydney FC.{{cite web |last1=Paquette |first1=Catherine |title=SYDNEY FC PRE-SEASON CONTINUES WITH TWO PLAYER RE-SIGNINGS |url=https://www.ftbl.com.au/news/sydney-fc-pre-season-continues-with-two-player-re-signings-582197 |website=ftbl.com.au |publisher=FTBL |access-date=18 August 2022}}{{Cite web |date=2023-06-29 |title=Sydney FC v Central Coast Mariners - Australia Cup Match Centre |url=https://www.australiacup.com.au/match/sydney-fc-v-central-coast-mariners-australia-cup-14-08-2023/2375548 |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=www.australiacup.com.au |language=en}}

Career

Kucharski made his NSW NPL1 debut in 2018 in a 0–5 loss to former National Soccer League heavyweights Wollongong Wolves.{{cite web |last1=Pulczynski |first1=Ian |title="Marconi, Sydney United, are the best games" - Jaiden Kucharski |url=https://www.frontpagefootball.net/post/marconi-sydney-united-are-the-best-games-jaiden-kucharski |website=frontpagefootball.net |date=12 March 2022 |publisher=Front Page Football |access-date=18 August 2022}} Kucharski signed a two-year scholarship contract with the Sydney A-League Men's side after coming through the academy ranks and performing well in the National Premier League side, having scored 19 goals in the 2022 NPL season.{{cite web |last1=Warriner |first1=David |title=GURD & KUCHARSKI SIGN SCHOLARSHIP DEALS |url=https://sydneyfc.com/news/gurd-kucharski-sign-scholarship-deals |website=Sydney FC |date=12 May 2022 |access-date=18 August 2022}} He made his competitive debut for the senior men's team in the 2022 Australia Cup Round of 32 as a substitute against rival A-League side Central Coast Mariners at Leichhardt Oval, and scored in the penalty shootout which saw Sydney win and progress to the Round of 16.{{cite web |last1=James |first1=Euan |title=Sydney FC advance after shootout victory |url=https://www.australiacup.com.au/match/sydney-fc-v-central-coast-mariners-australia-cup-31-07-2022/2305007 |website=Australia Cup |date=29 June 2022 |access-date=18 August 2022}}

On 13 August 2023, Kucharski was included in the youth-bolstered Australia Cup squad to take on Central Coast Mariners at WIN Illawarra Stadium in Wollongong. The game provided 6 goals all together, with Sydney FC prevailing through the wind and rain to win 10–9 on penalties. In the 122nd minute, Kucharski received the ball on the wing and gracefully dribbled past numerous Central Coast defenders and curled a beautiful shot into the bottom corner to send the game to penalties.{{Cite web |last=nicholasdurbano |date=2023-08-29 |title='Breakout year' on the horizon for Australia Cup hero after penning extension with boyhood club |url=https://keepup.com.au/news/a-league-transfer-news-sydney-fc-jaiden-kucharski/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=KEEPUP |language=en-AU}}

Career statistics

rowspan=2\|Club !rowspan=2\|Season !colspan=3\|League{{efn\|A-League statistics include final series matches}} !colspan=2\|Cup ! colspan="2" \|Continental ! colspan="2" \|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals !Apps !Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="4" \|Sydney FC \|2021–22{{cite web\|url=https://us.soccerway.com/players/jaiden-kucharski/643677/\|title=Jaiden Kucharski\|website=Soccerway\|accessdate=25 November 2023}} \| rowspan="4" \|A-League Men \|0	0	0	0 \|0 \|0	0	0
2022–23 \|14	0	2	0 \| colspan="2" \|—	16	0
2023–24 \|24	4	4	1 \| colspan="2" \|—	28	5
2024–25 \|3 \|1 \|1 \|0 \|1 \|0 \|5 \|1
colspan="3" \|Career total !41	5	7	1 !1 ! 0	49	6

Honours

Sydney FC

Australia Cup: 2023{{cite web|url=https://www.australiacup.com.au/match/sydney-fc-v-brisbane-roar-australia-cup-08-10-2023/22278567|title=2023 Australia Cup Final|website=Australia Cup|date=7 October 2023|accessdate=25 November 2023}}

Individual

National Premier Leagues NSW Men's Player of the Year: 2022{{cite web

|url=https://www.nationalpremierleagues.com.au/news/kucharski-and-badawiya-claim-top-npl-new-south-wales-honours#:~:text=Kucharski%20and%20Badawiya%20claim%20top%20NPL%20New%20South%20Wales%20honours,-Football%20NSW%20Published&text=Sydney%20FC's%20rising%20young%20gun,Friday%2016th%20of%20September.

|title=Kucharski and Badawiya claim top NPL NSW honours

|website=nationalpremierleagues.com.au

|date=19 September 2022

|accessdate=12 February 2023}}