Brazil leader defends World Cup in speech

Yahoo Sports - Brazil's president took to the prime-time airwaves Tuesday night to deliver a pre-recorded speech in which she tried to rally the nation behind the World Cup, an event that has stoked countless protests from those angered by the billions spent on the event opening this week. President Dilma Rousseff rebuked the ''pessimists'' against the Cup, saying they've already lost. She called on all Brazilians to support the national team regardless of their political persuasion or whether they fully agree with the nation hosting the event. An Associated Press investigation earlier this year found that big construction firms responsible for building the bulk of the stadiums, roads and other works had dramatically increased their campaign contributions since Brazil was named as the host of this year's Cup.