Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty ImagesErik Lamela, left, has provided teammates Pablo Osvaldo (obscured) and Francesco Totti a lift during a sometimes-difficult campaign

The 2012-13 Serie A campaign is officially half-over. It’s been a stressful one for sixth-placed Roma.

He Just Doesn’t Stop Scoring: Erik Lamela. Roma’s 20-year-old Argentine winger scored 10 goals in just 12 starts. As young attackers tend to do, Lamela is finally unleashing his real potential under Zdenek Zeman. He also may be one of the most improved players from last season, when he scored a mere four in 29 starts (an extra year to settle into Serie A and the capital may have helped as well). Impressive as his braces against Udinese and Milan were, he went six consecutive games scoring between October against Atalanta and mid-November against Torino. A star on the rise.

Runner Up: Pablo Osvaldo. Yes, his red cards are an issue. Much less of one, however, when he scores nine goals in 12 starts. He’s a much different striker than Mattia Destro; his finishing is definitely more fine-tuned than the former Siena player, and he’s showed it many times this season. Osvaldo is just two goals from matching his total number of strikes under Luis Enrique.

Unbenchable Defender: Marquinhos. If anyone seriously expected an 18-year-old Brazilian to become the main talking point of Roma’s backline, over the arrivals of a Copa Libertadores winner and one of the best left-backs in Italy over the past five years, then you’re Walter Sabatini. Marquinhos is, quite simply, at a level beyond almost any other 18-year-old out there. It seems impossible that Roma won’t sign him permanently with a lengthy contract (he’s just on loan at the moment) - all he has to do is simply keep playing at the level he’s shown thus far.

Your Age Is Showing: Federico Balzaretti. When Roma announced his signing, I was caught in two minds: Roma just captured one of the best full-backs in all of Italy, but he happened to be over 30. So far, he hasn’t been quite as brilliant as everyone hoped, but nowhere near a disaster either. His work-rate is massive - he’s played more minutes than anyone bar Francesco Totti, Ivan Piris, and Leandro Castan - but he seems to have lost a step between Palermo and the capital. A solid addition to the back line? Definitely. A long-term solution, or even one at the peak of his game? Not so much.

From Laughing-Stock to Lovable Staple: Ivan Piris. Ivan Piris had a rough start to the season. That’s probably the nicest way to say it. Yet, somewhere along the way, he forgot to turn into Jose Angel, and instead became a tidy right-back. The 23-year-old has more minutes than anyone except Totti and has truly earned his place in the side.

Most Controversial Player Who's No Longer Controversial: Daniele De Rossi. It's gone from “he never plays", "he fell out of love with the capital" , "he doesn't work under Zeman - their relationship is broken and irreparable, he’s definitely leaving" to Zeman saying it’ll be hard to leave him out of the side after his brace against Milan. De Rossi told the New York Times this week he loves Roma and wants to stay. What’s that, he’s the club’s vice-captain on a long-term contract as one of the top earners in Italy and doesn't want to leave?

Player To See Less Of In 2013: Panagiotis Tachtsidis is a frustrating player for a variety of reasons. One, I have to look up his first name every time I try to spell it. Two, his potential is unquestionably there, and he has gotten better over the course of the season, but he varies brilliant passes with sloppy giveaways within two possessions. Three, his presence has often led to the benching of De Rossi or Miralem Pjanic, who both are unquestionably more talented. A loan spell for the 21-year-old is probably just what he needs, but Romanisti would probably gladly settle for reduced playing time so he can gradually adjust to Italy and fight for his spot.

Player To See More Of In 2013: Miralem Pjanic, maybe even more so than De Rossi, suffered a harsh beginning to life under Zeman. Roma’s new coach made it clear from day one Pjanic had not adapted to how he wanted him to play. Somewhere along the line, however, the adaptation seems to have come through, with the Bosnian having started every match since the Derby loss.

Team MVP: Francesco Totti. What can you say about Roma’s captain that hasn’t? He is truly a legend in an era where that word is thrown around all too often. This season, Zeman somehow reverse-engineered the 36-year-old to find out how to get him back to his usual goalscoring form after failing to spark under Luis Enrique. With six goals already, including a glorious brace against Fiorentina, Il Capitano looks as if he could continue to play for years and years. His form, at his age, resembles defensive greats in the peninsula such as Javier Zanetti and Paolo Maldini rather than an average old attacker, who tend to lose their place in teams as age catches up to their legs. Admittedly, Totti’s legs aren’t what they once were, but his brain is as sharp as ever, as evidenced by his six assists (as much as his once-strikemate Antonio Cassano and only behind Marek Hamsik and Borja Valero).

Part Two of the Roma Midseason Awards will focus on team recognition awards (Team Most Likely To Cause Me Anxiety, Team I Wish Would Just Hurry Up And Win Already, etc.) as well as a look at a few controversies that arose this season (The Great Goalkeeper Conundrum of 2012).

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