Background
Picarelli is an Italian American, born in Downey, California. Her father Angelo Picarelli and uncle Joe Picarelli both became restaurateurs in Long Beach.
Picarelli is an Italian American, born in Downey, California. Her father Angelo Picarelli and uncle Joe Picarelli both became restaurateurs in Long Beach.
Pepperdine University.
Her paternal grandparents Mario and Maria Picarelli had migrated from Calabria to Downey in 1966. As a senior in her successful four-year career playing varsity soccer at Pepperdine University, Picarelli was called into a training camp for the United States women"s national under-23 soccer team However, coach Jill Ellis quickly deemed Picarelli too small to be an effective goalkeeper at international level
After graduating Picarelli approached Italian club Bardolino Verona who signed her after a very short trial.
She played for Bardolino in a 3–3 Union of European Football Associations Women"s Champions League draw with Arsenal Ladies and caught the eye of Italy women"s national football team manager Pietro Ghedin. In January 2008 Picarelli made her debut for Italy in a 1–0 friendly defeat in France.
After leaving Bardolino and playing her club football in America, Picarelli continued to be selected by the Italian national team She played against the country of her birth in the 2011 Fédération internationale de football association Women"s World Cup qualification (Union of European Football Associations–CONCACAF play-off), which Italy lost 2–0 on aggregate.