New England Revolution 1 Manchester United 4: Ashley Young makes winning start to Red Devils career

Ashley Young made a winning start to life as a Manchester United player but Sir Alex Ferguson's £16million summer signing had to be content with a supporting role at the Gillette Stadium.

Goals from second-half substitutes Federico Macheda - who hit two - Michael Owen and Ji-Sung Park gave United a convincing win over New England as they kicked off their five-match tour of the United States in style.

Young, wearing the No 18 shirt vacated by Paul Scholes's retirement, was given a 67-minute debut down the left flank before making way for Gabriel Obertan, and the England winger impressed without producing anything too spectacular.

Crunching: Ashley Young - who made his first appearance in a Manchester United shirt - gets a cross past Kevin Alston

However, with David De Gea and Phil Jones not joining the squad until the next stop in Seattle, Ferguson will have been pleased to see at least one of his new signings in action, as well as with the result.

The United boss was expecting a tough challenge from a New England Revolution side benefitting from superior fitness in the middle of the Major League Soccer season, and for 45 minutes he was not disappointed in the opening game of the Herbalife Football Challenge.

United were not helped by a heavy grass surface that had only been laid earlier in the week and then drenched by a massive thunderstorm over Foxboro less than four hours before kick-off. It slowed their passing game as well as sapping the limbs of players who have been back in training for less than two weeks.

On the mark: Michael Owen celebrates his strike

It was the MLS side who threatened first, captain Shalrie Joseph getting across Fabio to glance a header just wide of Anders Lindegaard's left-hand post, while the United keeper also had to get down to smother Benny Feilhaber's low effort from the edge of the area.

But United began to exert greater control as the half wore on and they should have been at least one goal ahead by half-time.

Follow me: Wayne Rooney is tracked by Pat Phelan

Wayne Rooney sent a header looping onto the roof of the net in the 18th minute after Nani had twisted and turned inside three defenders before curling in a cross with the outside of his right foot, and then Dimitar Berbatov met Young's cross from the left but headed well wide.

It was nothing compared to the Bulgarian's miss four minutes before half-time, however, as United threatened on three occasions in quick succession.

Hands off: Fabio presses Sainey Nyassi (top) while Dimitar Berbatov demonstrates his aerial prowess

Rooney's pass released Fabio on the overlap down the left and he pulled the ball back for Berbatov who should have scored with a side-footed effort from 15 yards but placed his shot too close to Matt Reis and allowed the goalkeeper to make a fine reflex save.

It is becoming a depressingly familiar story for Berbatov who was left out of United's squad for the Champions League Final after two costly misses in the FA Cup smei-final against Manchester City.

Rooney and Nani both went close before a half-time break that saw Ferguson send on Owen, Macheda and Rio Ferdinand, while Revolution coach Steve Nicol made six changes.

There was little doubt which team benefitted most from the reshuffle as Owen and Macheda struck three times inside 16 minutes to give United a 3-1 lead.

Collector's item: Nani (centre) stays on his feet to challenge Shalrie Joseph

Owen had only been on the pitch for six minutes when he latched onto Michael Carrick's incisive pass into the box and drew substitute goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth before sliding the ball into the bottom corner.

Carrick was the also the provider for United's second three minutes later, slipping the ball inside for Macheda who took one touch as he raced clear of three Revolution defenders and placed a left-footed shot past Shuttleworth.

Acrobatic effort: Rooney goes close

New England pulled a goal back within two minutes but it owed a great deal to good fortune as Feilhaber's free-kick from the edge of the area took a heavy deflection off Kenny Mansally, standing on the end of United's defensive wall, and left Lindegaard hopelessly stranded as he dived to his right.

Macheda restored the two-goal advantage in the 61st minute, however, again needing just one touch when Rafael's cross from the right was deflected to him at the far post before applying a clinical finish for his second of the night.

And Park rounded off the scoring in the 80th minute, coolly lifting the ball over Shuttleworth from close-range following a quick one-two with Ryan Giggs.

United now move on to Seattle and the second game of the tour against the Sounders next week when other new signings Jones and De Gea may also make their debuts.