It's called taking an interest in a friends interests, it may not be genuine but it's polite
Plus they're talking about something football related that i for some reason vaguely know about. Seize the opportunity
When it comes to football, or any sport for that matter, i don't know bugger all about it, but if i have to watch a sport, it's cricket or ice hockey
Ice hockey just for it's intentionally brutal manner, and the fact that it's ice hockey, and cricket, I just like it because every single bowl has every potential, whereas football you know 9/10 they'll just pass it backwards, but also because the batsmen and bowlers are pretty ridiculous in what they can do. the fastest i've ever been able to bat against consistently, was something like 65mph against a bowling machine pointed at one spot, these guys are doing like 95-100mph where they want and react to hit them where they need, not just a net. I don't watch F1 at all, but those are the folk i respect the most, that is silly fast. I'll settle for being a touring car driver me thinks.