FOX Soccer is upping its commitment to MLS and taking its live HD coverage of the league to a new level when it debuts SOCCER NIGHT IN AMERICA this Friday. The premiere will be expansion Portland hosting Philadelphia at 10 p.m., at what should be an electric JELD-WEN Field.

“We are essentially elevating FOX Soccer’s MLS broadcasts to match the game’s excitement and pace to ensure fans have a premium viewing experience,” said David Nathanson, FOX Soccer’s General Manager.

FOX Soccer already had more MLS tilts than any other network, but they’ve now added a slick new package with crisp, redesigned graphics, super slow-motion camera technology, and a presentation more befitting FOX Sports.

The new graphics package uses Vizrt technology to give digital, real-time 3D and virtual graphic displays. The super slow-motion cameras and digital recorders will capture action at 90 frames/second, three times faster than regular slow motion.

Eric Wynalda and Christopher Sullivan will do pre-game, halftime and post-game, with J.P. Dellacamera doing play-by-play, Kyle Martino analysis in the booth and Brian Dunseth sideline reporting.

*** In other TV news, the first legs of the UEFA Champions League semis _ Barcelona vs. Real Madrid and Manchester United vs. Schalke 04 _ drew a combined audience of over 1.5 million viewers on the Fox networks. That’s an increase of 93 percent over last year’s semifinal first legs.

Schalke 04-Man. United was on Fox Soccer and Fox Deportes, while Barcelona-Real Madrid was televised live FX and Fox Deportes. Barcelona hosts Real Madrid in the second leg today at 2:30 p.m. on Fox Soccer, while Schalke 04 heads to Old Trafford tomorrow on FX, also at 2:30 p.m.