User blog comment:SpookyBoogie27/Light Novel Spoilers/@comment-8.28.150.75-20140210091944/@comment-1359322-20140211151948

And i'm telling you Issei didn't lose to Saji, he lost to the Sitri Team as a whole and Asia too indirectly. And if you consider that small issue as an embarassing, then the entire Gremory Team would be the same since they were supposed to be the team with the upper hand in that Rating Game. In the end, Issei only lost because of Saji's determination, nothing embarassing, if you think it's embarassing, then it's like insulting Saji's determination in that battle.

Also if anything that is truly embarassing in that game, it is Gasper who got retired because of garlic.