ROME - Perhaps Mario Balotellis struggles with Liverpool will have a positive effect on his return to Italys squad. Paul Goldschmidt Cardinals Jersey .Thats what Azzurri coach Antonio Conte is hoping for after giving Balotelli a surprising call-up for a key European Championship qualifier against Croatia on Sunday.Its the first time Conte has included Balotelli since taking over from Cesare Prandelli after Italys first-round elimination from the World Cup.Maybe its even better that Balotelli is coming in during a rough period, Conte said Monday as Italy began training in Florence. I think hell dedicate himself to the national team.Since transferring from AC Milan, Balotelli has scored only two goals in 14 appearances for Liverpool — and none in the Premier League.Glad to be back on the National Team and proud to represent my country, Balotelli wrote on Facebook.Without Balotelli, Ciro Immobile and Simone Zaza have taken over as the starters in attack under Contes preferred 3-5-2 formation. It remains to be seen if Balotelli will be used as a bench option or possibly replace Zaza.All players are equal. Balotelli, like everyone else, could play if hes in form but he could also end up on the bench or even in the tribune, Conte said. Balotelli has a lot of experience with the national team, having played a World Cup and a European Championship. Thats important but its not enough. Hes going to have to show me he can adapt to my type of football.Others have already shown that. Immobile, Zaza, (Graziano) Pelle and (Sebastian) Giovinco start with an advantage, Conte added. If over the course of a week Balotelli shows me hes reached the level of the others then he could pass in front of them.While Italy has won all four of its matches under Conte, the Azzurri struggled somewhat in their last two games, a 2-1 win over Azerbaijan and a 1-0 victory over Malta.Im looking forward to knowing (Balotelli). Its good to have competition, Zaza said. It could help the squad. I knew sooner or later he would be called up. Hes one of the best Italian forwards.Italy and Croatia are level at the top of Group H with nine points each. Two days after Sundays match at the San Siro — where Balotelli formerly played for both Inter and AC Milan — Italy hosts Albania in Genoa for a friendly.Conte said speculation that he had called up Balotelli merely to meet sponsor demands was nonsense.I dont exclude anyone, said the coach who guided Juventus to the last three Serie A titles. Balotelli is playing as a starter for Liverpool. Im forced to call up many players who are not starters for their clubs.Balotelli has scored 13 goals in 33 appearances for Italy, and was instrumental in the Azzurris run to the final of Euro 2012. But after scoring in Italys opening win over England at the World Cup, both he and the rest of Prandellis attack struggled in the next two matches against Costa Rica and Uruguay.Balotelli was the focus of a big portion of the blame for Italys early exit from the tournament in Brazil.Four months ago when he scored against England, you hailed Balotelli as Italys national treasure, Conte said. Four months later, hes being (attacked). I think thats part of the problem. Hes just a normal player.Conte deflected questions over reports in English tabloids focusing on Balotellis late-night partying habits.Im going to evaluate Balotelli for what he does from here on, Conte said. You know my rules and how severe I am. Im not going to waver on that.___Andrew Dampf can be followed at www.twitter.com/asdampf Mike Shannon Cardinals Jersey . -- Arizona pitcher Bronson Arroyo is expected to miss a week to 10 days because of a back injury. Chris Carpenter Jersey . Or take a relaxing vacation somewhere warm. Brayden Schenn and Scott Hartnell scored, Ray Emery stopped 32 shots and the Flyers beat the Calgary Flames 2-1 on Saturday for their fourth straight victory. http://www.authenticcardinalspro.com/cardinals-chris-beck-jersey/ . The Mariners ace allowed just one hit over eight innings while striking out nine, and Robinson Cano backed him with a two-run homer as Seattle earned a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.NEW YORK -- Mike Woodson had the Knicks on top of their division and in the second round of the playoffs, destinations that had become unreachable and practically unimaginable in New York. A year later, he was out of job. Phil Jackson fired Woodson and the entire coaching staff on Monday, making his first big move since becoming team president in March and saying in a statement that "the time has come for change throughout the franchise." The dismissal comes shortly after the Knicks completed a 37-45 season that began with their belief they were a serious contender. Instead, they started poorly, making Woodsons job security practically a season-long distraction. A late surge wasnt good enough for a post-season spot or another year for Woodson. It was a stunningly swift fall for Woodson, whose .580 winning percentage with the Knicks ranks behind only Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy, and who finished third in the NBAs Coach of the Year voting after going 54-28 last season. He and the staff were informed of the decision Monday morning by Jackson, the man the Knicks originally wanted to replace Woodson as coach but preferred to run the teams front office. Jackson has won an NBA-record 11 championships as a coach. He has repeatedly said hes not interested in returning to the bench, so he will have to hire someone before he turns his attention to the roster. The team said the coaching search begins immediately. Jackson said he has a "tremendous amount of respect" for Woodson and his staff, which included longtime Knicks assistant Herb Williams. Jackson called this an "extremely difficult" season and said "blame should not be put on one individual." "But the time has come for change throughout the franchise as we start the journey to assess and build this team for next season and beyond," he added. Jackson has said he wont insist the Knicks run the triangle, the offensive system he used in Chicago and with the Lakers, but has made clear his belief in it. TNT analyst Steve Kerr, who played for Jackson with the Bulls but has never been a coach, has repeatedly been mentioned as a top candidate. Kerr said Monday during his SiriusXM NBA Radio show that he and Jackson have remained close and that he expected to speak with him at some point about the job. "Its going to be very interesting and obviously my name is being thrown around. I do anticipate at least being part of the conversation and well see where it all goes," Kerr said. Jackson is scheduled to speak with reportters on Wednesday. Albert Pujols Cardinals Jersey. Woodson, a former Knicks first-round draft pick, was hired as an assistant coach before the 2011-12 season, then engineered an 18-6 finish after replacing Mike DAntoni on an interim basis the following March to capture a playoff spot. Given a multiyear deal two months later, Woodson then led the Knicks to their first Atlantic Division championship since 1994. New York then beat Boston in the playoffs, its first series victory since 2000, and general manager Steve Mills picked up next seasons option year on Woodsons contract before this season began. But the Knicks were saddled with some early injuries, including centre Tyson Chandlers broken leg, and lacked the veteran leadership they enjoyed last season. Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan was already considering replacing Woodson by December, when he met with Jackson at a holiday party and talked to him about coaching the team. Carmelo Anthony praised his coach Thursday and even offered to back him publicly if necessary. But it was probably a clear sign Woodson wouldnt be back a few minutes later when Amare Stoudemire said the coach hadnt taken part in the exit meetings with players that Jackson and Mills held. Woodson previously coached six seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, leading them to the playoffs in his final three seasons. He has a career record of 315-365. Woodson went 109-79 with the Knicks, who hadnt even made the playoffs since 2004 before he led them there in 2012. But he lost one of his biggest supporters within the organization when general manager Glen Grunwald, Woodsons college teammate at Indiana, was surprisingly fired last September. Players and fans sometimes grumbled during the season about Woodsons strategies as the defence regressed and the offence was inconsistent beyond Anthony, who plans to become a free agent in July. Chandler said there probably was some "disconnect" and "misunderstanding" at times. "Coach Woodson put together a game plan for us on the basketball court and there were times we didnt totally buy into it," Stoudemire said last week. Still, the Knicks nearly rallied to make the playoffs by winning 16 of their final 21 games. But Woodson, who said he and Jackson had only brief chats in Jacksons first month in charge, said before the season finale he knew the coach often takes the blame. "Everyone in this franchise owes a great deal of gratitude to what Mike and his staff have done," Jackson said. "We wish him the best." ' ' '